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FAMILIAR LETTERS 



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HENRY CLAY OF KENTUCKY, 



DESCRIBING 



A WINTER IN THE WEST INDIES. 



BY 



JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. 



"Magna est veriras el (iriBvalebit.' 




N E W - Y O R K ; 

PBESS OP MAHLON DAY & CO., 374 PEARL- STREET, 
Jamue Egbert, Printer. 



1840. 



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FAMILIAR LETTERS, 



LETTER I 



VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK, AND ENTRANCE ON THE TROPICS. 



Flushing, L. I. Sixth-month {June) \sty 1840. 

My dear Fribnd, 

I seize the first day of leisure that has fallen to my lot, since 
I left Washington, in order to commence a narrative of my late 
tour in the West Indies : and I gladly avail myself of thy 
obliging permission, in addressing a series of letters, on the 
subject, to Henry Clay of Kentucky. Sure I am, that the 
present state of the West India Islands, in a pecuniary, politi- 
cal, and moral, point of view, cannot be a matter of indiffer- 
ence to any American statesman. I know that thy feelings of 
interest in the great experiment which is now developing its 
results, in that part of the world, are deep and lively ; and I 
venture to believe that thou wilt give no severe reception to the 
familiar incidents — the trifling descriptions, whether in verse 
or prose— with which my story may probably be interwoven. 

I must however premise, that I undertook this journey, 
neither in the pursuit of pleasure, nor for the specific purpose 
of ascertaining the effects of emancipation ; much less as the 
agent or representative of any body of philanthropists, either 
in England or America; but in the character of a minister of the 
gospel. My primaiy object was to preach the glad tidings of 
peace and salvation to my fellow men, and from persons of 
every class, condition, and party, in the West Indies, I have 
met with a cordial welcome, and the kindest attentions. 



4 VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK. 

In company with Mahlon Day, a highly respectable 
citizen of New- York, and a young friend, who kindly under- 
took to act as our attendant and helper, I sailed from that 
city on the 22nd of^ast Eleventh-month, (November.) in the 
Camilla, Captain Watlington, Our ship's company consisted 
of about twenty individuals, (mostly in search of a warmer 
climate and better health) who had taken their passage, in this 
accommodating little ship, for Santa Cruz. The fine, but cold, 
frosty day, on which we left your shores, gave them a sufficient 
warning, that the season was at hand, when the rigor of a 
North American winter would become dangerous. At the 
same time, it afforded such of us as were in good health a 
delightful opportunity — as we swept along under full sail — of 
observing, under the brightest aspect, the rare beauty of the 
harbor of New- York, the bay, and the neighboring islands. 

We had not continued our voyage more than three days^ 
before we found ourselves in a genial climate. The thermom- 
eter stood at 70, and light clothing gradually came into 
requisition. The change was almost magical, and certainly it 
was no small luxury thus insensibly to glide into warmth, 
9,nd as it were, to. catch summer again by the skirts. We were 
now crossing " the Gulph Stream," where it is said to have a 
breadth of two hundred and fifty miles, and the temperature of 
the air was probably heightened by the heat of the waves 
below. To account for this enormous current of warm water 
which runs up from the Gulph of Mexico, in a north-easterly 
direction, to so great a distance, seems to be nearly impossible. 
What the causes are which occasion the magnitude of the 
current, and the heat of the water, seems to be mere matter of 
conjecture ; but its beneficial effect in melting the ice, and un- 
locking the harbors, of North America, affords one evidence 
among ten thousand, that even the wildast sports of nature are 
subservient to good and wise purposes, in the order of a bene- 
volent Providence. Boisterous weather and a strong adverse 
gale, were our portion as we crossed " the Gulph." The 
foaming waves, with tops of a light transparent blue, rose to 



VOYAGE FROM NKW-YOUK. 5 

an nnusnol hcijrht, and were in beaiitifiil contrast with the 
troughs below, of a deep dull lead color. 

Camilla, wliilom swift of win^ 

Can now no longer fly, ? 

In vain her gnllant sailors sing ; 

She faints and longs to die. 
The waves o'er which she loved to dance, ♦ 

Now horrid in hnr cyo, 
In awful alpine forms advance, 

And curl their snows on high. 
O, were it not for sore affright, 

They might have charmed her view. 
Dappled and marbled o'er with white, 

And tipped with azure blue. 
But the vales and pits that yawn below 

Are dull and dark as lead ; 
They bid her every hope foregO' — 

Fit chambers for the dead ! 
But quail no more thou blithsome maid,. 

Beneath the howling blast, 
Sunshine alternates still with shade,. 

Such fury cannot lust. 
Thy guardian sylphs shall soon prevail. 

To dry those tears of sorrow, 
A smiling sky, a favoring gale. 

Await thee for the morrow. 

This prediction was verified ; for on the following- day, the 
wind was favorable, the weather fair, the sea of the finest ultra- 
marine blue, and nothing could be more delightful than our 
voyage. We were particularly pleased with our first sight of 
the flying fishes, which we observed scudding along with 
wonderful agility, over the surface of the water. Our Captain 
assured us, that he had. watched one of them which flew for 
the full distance of half a mile, before alighting. One of 
them winged its way on board our ship ; and a more ex- 
quisitely beautiful creature I have seldom seen, about eight in- 
ches m length, his eye black, his back of the brightest dark blue, 

pure silver beloWj liis wings libred like a leaf, and perfectly 

1* 



6 VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK. 

transparent. The creature bears not the touch of man — he 
quivered, and presently died, in my hand. At night, the phos- 
phoric ilhimination around the ship, as she tlew before the 
wind, was wonderfuL. Though there was no moon visible, 
one might easily have supposed that it was moonlight, and the 
waves sparkled, and almost blazed. The following lines are 
graphically true, without poetic licence. 

The moon beneath the waters sleeps, 

The stars are veiled with clouds, 
The vigorous breeze o'er Ocean sweeps, 

And swells the rustling shrouds. 
Regardless of the gale, the storm, 

Camilla flies ahead. 
And, lo, around her angel form 

A mystic glare is spread. 
The foam she dashes from her side, 

Dispels the gloom of night. 
And seems diffusing far and wide, 

A supernatural light. 
The myriad sparks of liquid fire 

Dance to the virgin's fame ; 
And the billows from her brow retire, 

All flickering with flame. 

As we found our way into the tropics, we observed that the 
atmosphere became clearer and clearer ; no mists were per- 
ceptible ; the sun seldom obscured, and the appearance of the 
sky and stars, at night, peculiarly bright and clear. The 
moon, in these latitudes, often assumes an almost vertical posi- 
tion ; and many of the stars which belong to the southern he- 
misphere, are visible. Before day light, one morning, the Cap, 
tain called me upon deck, to look at the southern cross, which 
is certainly a constellation of rare beauty. One of the five 
stars which form the cross, however, is of inferior magnitude, 
and not in the trae position, which somewhat mars the image. 
When I turned towards the east, I enjoyed a still finer spectacle. 
The horn of an almost expiring moon, Venus, and Mars, were 
in all their splendor ; and the profusion of azure, lilac^ ultra- 



VOYAGE FROM NFAV-YOUK. 7 

marine, pca-grccn, oraiis^e, and crimson, which mantled the sky, 
about half anliour before sun-rise, I never before saw ec|nalled. 
The sunset in these warm regions, is also remarkable for 
mellow beauty, but not as I imagined, of a s-plendor C(|ual to 
the sun-rise. One evening, a " golden edged cloud" suLrLCcstod 
a lew lines of consolation to one of the ladies on board, who 
with iniicli son(nv and anxiety, was nursing her interesting 
little boy, evidently sinking by degrees into the arms of death. 

A dark cloud was skirting the edge of the sea, 

A frown on the brow of the west, 
And nature was shrouded wilh sadness to me, 

As she sank in the ocean to rest ; 
But the sun that was wrapped in that mantle of woe,. 

His radiance begins to unfold, 
And the veil that was darkening the billows below, 

Is fringed and embroidered with gold. 
The scene is a signal fur mental relief, 

Wiiile it charms and refreshes the sight ; 
It bids me believe that the cloud of my grief. 

Shall soon wear a border of light. 
The gilding of hope, and the beaming of love, 

"Victorious o'er sorrows and fears, 
Are heralds of mercy from heaven above 

To illumine this valley of tears. 

No one needs to lack amusement during a voyage; especial- 
ly within the tropics ; — nature is constantly presenting objects 
of interest, and the sea, in its ever varying phases, is a sio-ht 
which never tires. We were amused, one morning, by watch- 
ing the motions of a great shark, called, from its Imown discern- 
ment and cunning, the " Sea lawyer." His broad head, ao-ile 
body, and flopping green fins, with the numerous little myrmi- 
don fishes which accompanied liim on his journey, formed a 
striking spectacle. At another time, a dolphhi followed our 
bait— a much more taper and active fish than I had imao-ined • 
his fine blues and greens quite glittered through the waves. On 
a third occasion, the sea was seen sparkling with myriads of 
minute blue fishes, specified witli silver* The " mtui of war 



8 VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK. 

birds," to all appearance black, with long wings and swallow 
tails, were often perceptible, soaring above us to a great height. 
I am told that they form a curious link between the albatross 
and sea eagle. Their gyrations resemble those of the latter bird ; 
and it is said that during the hurricanes which so often occur 
in the West Indies, in the autumn, these birds are seen rising, 
in great numbers, above the sphere of agitation, and enjoying 
themselves in the tranquillity of the skies above. 

On the 3d of the Twelfth-month (December,) we caught our 
first sight of land, the conical rocky peaks of Virgin Gorda, 
rising before us to a considerable elevation. Soon afterwards we 
saw Tortola, St. John's, and St. Thomas — all, however, at a 
great distance. The next morning, those islands were full in 
sight to the westward, and in the distant east, we obtained a 
view of the mountains of Porto Rico. The appearance of these 
tropical islands, rising suddenly from the sea, and forming steep, 
pyrimidal elevations, sometimes of bare rock, at other times 
covered with greenness, was to many of us a perfect novelty ; 
and one is immediately led, as a matter of course, to trace their 
existence to some vast impulse from below. There can be little 
doubt, I suppose, that they are, in general, of volcanic origin ; 
and that they are not of that fathomless antiquity to which some 
of the geological strata pretend, is plainly evinced by the cir- 
cumstance, that the fossil shells and corals which are found 
imbedded in their mountain tops, are often of precisely the 
same kinds as are still discovered in the Carribean seas. Our 
course lay through the " Virgin passage." During the clear 
but moonless night we passed by a precipitous rock, called the 
" Sail rock." Such is its resemblance to a ship in full sail, 
that as the story goes, it was once battered, by mistake, as an 
enemy, by a French frigate. We seemed to be driving directly 
upon it, our mate having failed in his endeavors to steer to the 
leeward of it ; but a sudden tack of the ship was efifected, so 
as to prevent the too probable contact. The next morning we 
were becalmed within sight of Santa Cruz, though at a distance^ 
from Uiat island, of forty miles. 



VOYAGE FROM NKW-YORK. 9 

To our risrlit — also at a loni^ distance — lay Crab island, 
which is said to be of considerable fertility and value. I under- 
stand that the chief part of it, is still covered with fine forest 
timber, that parrots abound iu the woods, with wild animals and 
game of various descriptions. For a long time this island con- 
tinued unsettled and unclaimed ; but of late years it has fallen 
into the hands of Spain, and is said to be a kind of dependency 
on Porto Rico. The governor is a Frenchman ; and slaves 
liave already been introduced into the island. It is greatly to 
be feared ihat it not only affords a refuge for the slavers of Cuba 
and Porto Rico, but that, it will itself be gradually peopled with 
slaves from Africa. It seems to be a questionable point whether 
Great Britain is not in possession of the first claim on .this 
island. — If so, it is surely most desirable, for mercy's sake, that 
she should assert her rights. As we lay motionless, on the 
deep, wc observed two negro boys making their way towards 
us, from a far distant sloop, in a crazy little boat which they 
were skilfully working with paddles. We fondly hoped that 
they were bringing us a supply of fruit ; but on their arrival, 
we found that their mission was to beg for a little water and 
provision. The interview, however, was one of considerable 
mterest; for they were the first of the emancipated British 
slaves whom we saw in the West Indies. They came from 
Virgin Gorda, and were employed by the Captain of the sloop, 
himself a negro, with three others, in cutting wood on Crab 
island, for the use of the hospital in Santa Cruz. Their 
wages were five dollars and a half, per month, for each man,, 
besides board ; thus, under the new system, they were earning 
their living by honest industry ; and they appeared to us to be 
at once well behaved, and contented. 

In the evening — when the patience of some of our company 
was beginninof to flag — a favorable breeze spmng up ; the 
night was mild and clear, and the sky studded with stars ; our 
passengers assembled on the quarter deck, enjoying the scene; 
every body was in good humor in the prospect of a speedy ter- 



10 VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK. 

mination of our voyas^e ; and fair was the wind, the next 
morning, wliich wafted us safely to our harbor. 

The appearance of Santa Cruz, as you approach it from the 
North, is picturesque and pleasing — to us who had been so long 
at sea, and were strangers to West Indian scenery, it seemed 
clad with beauty — a succession of rounded or conical hills and 
mountains, cultivated to their very tops ; partly red (being the 
color of the soil) where the hoe had been at work ; and partly 
bright green, where already covered with the sugar cane — neat 
planting settlements visible in various spots ; severally consist- 
ing of a mansion, a boiling house, a number of negro huts, and 
a wind mill on some neighboring elevation, for grinding the 
sugar — the green wooded dells between the hills — and the 
cocoa-nut trees, with their tall stems, and strange looking, 
but elegant, deciduous branches, scattered over the whole 
scene. We landed at Fredericksted or West-End, exactly 
two weeks after our departure from New- York. Good boarding 
houses, well suited for invalids, were ready for the reception of 
all the passengers. For ourselves, we found a peaceful and 
commodious resting place in the house of our kind friend Re- 
becca Rogers —a house which we can cordially recommend to 
the notice of West Indian travellers. The hot-house warmth 
of the atmosphere, was very preceptible to our feelings on our 
first landing ; but we were soon refreshed with the delightful 
easterly breeze which seldom fails to blow in Santa Cruz ; and 
certainly it was not without a feeling of heartfelt gratitude to 
the Creator and Preserver of men, that we first landed on a 
West Indian shore. One consideration alone was oppressive 
to us — we had come to a land of slavery. 
But it is time I should close my first letter. 

I am, with great respect, &,c. &c. 



LETTER II. 



SANTA CRUZ. 



Flushing, L. I. Sixth-month [June] 2c?, 1840. 

My dear Fbiend, 

The charms of a tropical country, when novel, are calculated 
to make a delightful impression on the mind ; and as we 
roamed along the lanes, and cane-fields of Santa Cruz, during 
the first few days after our arrival, we could easily conceive the 
pleasure enjoyed by Columbus and his followers, when the fer- 
tility and beauty of West Indian scenery first burst upon 
their view. Many beautiful productions of nature however, not 
indigenous, are now added to the catalogue of wonders, which 
inflamed the imagination of Columbus. 

Almost every plant we saw as we drove or rode about the 
country, from the largest tree to the small weed, was unknown 
to us, and formed the subject of somewhat troublesome enquiry. 
It was a new world to u?, as well as to its first discoverer ; and 
several days must be passed amidst these scene?, before one can 
obtain any thing like a familiar acquaintance with the produc- 
tions of nature. Splendid exotic plants which would be re- 
garded as rarities, even in the greenhouses of England and 
America, are cultivated in the little gardens of Santa Cruz ; 
and the wild flowers arc scarcely less attractive. Amongst 
them, we observed large kinds of convolvulus, white and pink ; 
yellow bell-I^.owers, scarlet creepers, bright blue peas of singular 
beauty ; and to crown all, the " pride of Barbadoes,-' sometimes 
crimson, someti nes yellow, with butterfly petals, long pendent 
stamina, and acacia like leaves, adorning the hedges in great 
profusion. The trees are, for the most part, bearers of fruit, 
and many of them eire covered with luxuriant foliage. To se- 



12 SANTA CRUZ. 

lect a few of the most remarkable, I would just mention the 
plantain and ba7iana, (nearly the same in appearance,) with 
pendent leaves of vast di nension, and a profusion of finger-like 
fruit growing in clusters — the loild orange tree, covered at the 
same time with fruit and tlowers — the li7ne, which lines the 
hedges, and is ec|ually fragrant, producing in abundance, a 
small kind of lemon — the giiava, with pink blossoms and pear- 
hke fruit, also frequent in the hedge rows — the mango, heavily 
laden with foliage, and with fruit in its season — the marnmee, 
growing to a great size, and profusely covered with glazed, dark 
green, foliage — lastly, the tamarind, with its light feathery 
leaves and long pods which contain the fruit used for a 
preserve, spreading its branches far and wide, like the British 
oak. 

The sweet orange, and those larger species of the same 
genus, the "forbidden fruit," and the shadock, are produced 
only by cultivation 5 but they grow in Santa Cruz very plen- 
tifully, lu company with a young friend, I rode one morning 
to visit the gardens of Prosperity estate, which, for want of some 
of that labor, now monopolized by the sugar cane, are left in 
wild confusion ; but these delightful fruits are still produced 
there in luxuriant profusion ; and a visit to Prosperity is an easy 
msthod of gratifying the sight, the smell, and the taste. Of 
these three senses, however, the first perhaps is the best pleased 
on the occasion ; for nothing scarcely can be more beautiful 
than those rows of orange and shadock trees, laden with fruit, 
green and gold. 

The branches of the cocoa-nut tree diverge like the ribs of 
an umbrella, from one common centre ; and just at that centre, 
far out of reach, hang the clusters of cocoa nuts. In their half 
ripe state, they often supplied us with a delicious beverage of 
sweet milky water, a provision of nature admirably adapted to 
a hot climate. But va'uable as i? the cocoa-nut tree in tropical 
climates, it is much inferior, in beauty, to the cabbage palm, or 
mountain cabbage, which may be regarded as the greatest orna- 
ment of this delightful island. Its straight branchless trunk, 



SANTA CRUZ. 13 

from 30 to 50 feet high, bulges out a Httle in the middle, and is 
covered with a smooth grey bark, neatly divided into ringlets 
which mark the periods of its growth. Out of the top of the 
trunk rises a second stem equally straight, of bright green, 
which contains the cabbage so much esteemed as a delicacy at 
tabic ; above this green stem, the palm branches spring forth 
like those of the cocoa-nut, but with greater luxuriance ; finally, 
a thin spiral rod forms the summit of the tree. The liigh road 
between West-End or Fredericksted, and Bassin or Christiansted, 
the seat of government, (about fifteen miles in length) runs be- 
tween rows of cocoa-nuts and cabbage palms, which have been 
carefully planted on either side. On one part of this road, the 
latter trees are remarkably lofty and beautiful ; and so regular, 
and even artificial, is their appearance, that one might imagine 
onesself to be travelling between some of the colonnades of 
Psestum, or Tadmor in the desert. 

One good resulting, among many evils, from the despotic 
government of this island, is the careful preservation of its trees. 
No man is allowed to cut them down, even on his own estate ; 
for they are not only valued for their shade and beauty, but are 
supposed to attract the showers ; and Santa Cruz depends al- 
most entirely on the skies, for its supplies of water. Another 
favorable result of arbitrary power, is that the inhabitants have 
been compelled to pay for the macadamising of their roads. 
The travelling in Santa Cruz, is, in consequence, rapid and 
easy, and the evening drives through the picturesque valleys 
in the neighborhood of West-End, afford a luxurious enjoy- 
ment, even for invalids. 

On the top of the spiral rod of the cabbage-palm, I have 
frequently obseiwed a handsome grc/ bird, somewhat less than 
a thrush, called the chincherry. Like the king-bird of North 
America, it is said to mock even the hawk, and to assert its 
dominion over all the fowls of the air. Hunmiing-birds and 
bright little barbets are seen contending for the blossomed 
sweets of the yellow cedar ; a sly looking black bird, in shape 

like a jay, and generally called the black witch, abounds in the 

2 

t 



14 SANTA CRUZ. 

hedges ; quails and minute doves are numerous ; and a small 
species of bittern is often seen floating along over the lower 
grounds of the island. Lastly, the brown pelicans, on the 
sea coast, flopping lazily over the waters, and ever and anon 
diving for their prey, are as numerous as gulls on the coast of 
Great Britain. It may be well to observe that the southern 
part of Santa Cruz is an extensive plain, I believe of shell- 
limestone formation. The highlands, composed of an indu- 
rated clay, conspicuously stratified, and tossed into various 
angles by some vast impulse from below, form the northern 
barrier ; and very beautiful is their undulation. The loftiest 
of these hills is Mount Eagle, which rises 1200 feet above the 
level of the sea. An hour's ride, from West-End, brings you to 
the top of Prospect or Bodldn Hill, from which there is a mag- 
nificent bird's eye view both of the hills and plains, all, with 
little exception, under careful sugar cultivation. But it is on 
the sea shores of Santa Cruz that the American or English 
visiter will probably find his greatest amusement. The large 
blushing conks and other shells which strew the beach, the 
corals, madrepores, sea-fans, and sponges of many definite and 
curious shapes, not to mention the " soldier crabs," dressed in 
regimentals of purple and scarlet, and inhabiting every empty 
shell they can find, cannot fail to attract the attention of the 
lovers of nature, even when, like myself, they have little pre- 
tensions to science. Yet, it must be confessed, that all these 
rarities are nothing in comparison with the fishes. 

The fish market at West-End is held under some cocoa-nut 
trees, on the shore, a little before noon, eveiy day. To watch 
the arrival of the boats, on these occasions, and to examine the 
live fish, before they are taken out, or after they are laid on the 
grass, under the shade, is a source of almost endless amusement. 
The variety of the kinds, and the brightness of their colors, 
are truly surprising. I know only their vulgar names, and 
vulgar indeed they arc ; but I camiot do justice to my theme 
without specifying the grunt, striped with alternate lines of yel- 
low and purple ; the goat., pink and silvery the doctor, of bur- 



SANTA CRUZ. 15 

iiishcd copper ; the Wcls/unan, pink with yellow stripes ; the 
hind, white with red and brown spots ; the rock-hind, green 
with brown spots ; {]w, parrot, davk brown, bhie and yellow ; 
tlic f;il/:-fish,o( a briirlit })iuk ; the hlare-cijc, pink with a pro- 
digious white eye ; the Spanisli ling, bright yellow and brown ; 
the angel, of the finest gold and purple ; to which list might 
be added a multitude of others. These fishes are generally 
from one to two pounds in weight, and with others of a larger 
dimension, but not so splendid, are generally good for the table, 
— no small resource even for the poorer inhabitants of Santa 
Cruz. Our friend, Dr. Gridith, an able naturalist from the 
United States, who was with us on the island, was very suc- 
cessful in preserving these gaudy creatures, without destroying 
their color. I understand that he has since presented his col- 
lection to one of the scientific institutions in Philadelphia, 

The town of Bassin or Christiansted is much larger than. 
"West-End, well built and agreeable, with a good harbor for 
shipping, within the reef or bar. The Government House is 
handsome and commodious ; the hills near the town lofty and 
picturesque ; and the views from them of the port below, the 
sea coast, and fine tracts of country, both to the east and west, 
amply repay the labor of the ascent. The same may be said of 
Bulow Minda, the Governor's country seat, a handsome place, 
on a high hill about two miles west of Bassin. There, fine pros- 
pects, and pure, cool, air may be enjoyed in abundance. West 
End, however, from its numerous excellent boarding-houses, 
and the pleasant rides in the neighborhood, is the better place 
for invalids. The thermometer ranged during our stay there 
from 75 to 80, with little variation at night. The hot sun 
must be avoided during the day ; but during the early morn- 
ings and evenings, the weather and countiy air, are, in general, 
delightful. 

No man need retjuire a more wholesome or agreeable diet 
than is afforded by the fish, the sweet pork and mutton, the ed- 
ible vegetables, and the fruits, of Santa Cruz. The yams, when 
in perfection, are a good substitute for a mealy potatoe ; the 



16 SANTA CRUZ, 

ripe plantains and bananas, especially the latter, are excellent 
fruits, and, when fried, are among the nicest of vegetables ; the 
oranges are delicious, and the shadocks and forbidden fruit, 
when of the best kind and fully ripe, are not less so. To these 
may be added the sour-sop, sugar-apple, sappedilla, bell-apple, 
pomme de Cythere, star-apple, and above all the mango. This 
last, when of an inferior kind, has the taste of turpentine ; but 
the better sorts have somewhat the flavor of a peach, and are 
very luscious. This description applies with variations, to the 
other West India islands. Nature has done wonders for them. 
Our friend. Dr. Stedman, who has been practising for fifty 
years on the island, as a physician, sent us a present of the 
bread fruit. It is round, of the size of a cocoa-nut, and covered 
with a green rind, divided into hexagons, like the honeycomb. 
We were directed to keep it for a day or two, then to bake it, 
and lastly to cut it in slices, to be toasted for breakfast. We 
found it a sweet, agreeable, farinaceous food, probably the best 
substitute for bread that has yet been discovered. 

The sugar crop was now commencing on several of the 
estates, and we visited the property of our friend, Adam Ste- 
venson, of North -End, to witness the process of sugar mak- 
ing. When there is wind enough to turn the mill, the canes 
(already conveyed to it on asses or mules) are forced be- 
tween two almost contiguous iron cylinders, kept in constant 
rotatory motion. The liquor thus pressed out, is conveyed by 
a long wooden pipe, down the hill to the boiling house. It is 
there received by a large vessel called the clarifier, and thence 
it passes through a succession of boilere, subjected to different 
degrees of heat. First it is converted into syrup ; next into the 
thicker fluid called sling. The sling is conveyed by troughs 
into the graining pans, where it granulates, and assumes the 
form of suo;ar mJS^ed with molasses. It is then transferred to 
the hogsheads, from which the molasses gradually drain into 
receivers placed below ; and, finally, the sugar is left diy and 
pure, ready for exportation. The sugar of Santa Ciiiz, is 



SANTA CRUZ. If 

generally of a fine grain, and light and delicate color, — ranch 
more so than that produced by moister and more luxuriant 
soils. Every part of this valuable plant is applied to some use. 
The leaves form excellent fodder for pigs and cattle ; the refuse 
cane, after the juice has been pressed out, receives the name of 
trash, and is carefully stacked, under cover, for the purpose of 
fuel. 

It is a circumstance much to be lamented, that the distillery 
is an almost unvarying appendage to the boiling-house, and 
every two hogsheads of sugar are accompanied by at least one 
puncbeon of rum. The new rum of the West Indies is a 
tempting, but most unhealthy, liquor, and has, doubtless, caused 
an unnumbered multitude of untimely deaths. Our friend 
Stevenson drinks only water, and with an honest consistency, 
manufactures no rum. The " scummings" of the sugar-li- 
quor, from which (with a mixture of molasses) the rum is 
usually distilled, are, on his estate, pumped back into the 
clarifier, and converted into sugar, as excellent as any that he 
makes. He is confident that this change- of system is econo- 
mical and profitable ; and greatly is it to be desired that his 
example may be followed throughout the West Indies. 

The exports of sugar from Santa Cruz, in 1839, were 19,428 
hogsheads, of 1300 lbs. each. In some former years, the 
produce has been upwards of 30,000. While, on the one hand, 
this island derives vast advantage from the watcliful skill and 
care of a respectable body of resident proprietors, there can be 
no doubt that the dead lueight of the slaves is severely felt, — 
that many of the estates have passed from the hands of the 
original owners into those of the managei-s, — that many others 
are heavily mortgaged, — and that the land for several years 
past, has been under a process of gradual exhaustion. The 
emancipation of the property of this island from its burdens, 
and the restoration of its soil, is reserved, as I believe, for the 
annals of freedom. 

I understand that the slaves form about four-fifths of the 

population, and are in number about 19,000. Time was, when 

2* 



18 SANTA CRTJZ. 

the treatment to which they were exposed, was harsh and 
severe ; and then their numbers were constantly declining. 
Of late years, however, the Danish government has instituted 
various restrictions which have ameliorated the condition of 
the slaves. They are not allowed, as I understand, to be 
worked longer in the day, than from 6 o'clock in the morning, 
to the same hour in the evening, with intervals (not always 
long enough) for breakfast and dinner. Legal provisions are 
made respecting food and clothing. The driver in the field 
is not permitted to carry any more terrible instrument than a 
tamarind switch of moderate size ; and twelve lashes with the 
rope, and a short period of solitary confinement, (mostly, I 
believe, in a light room.) are the extent of punishment which 
even the manager or master is permitted to inflict. This rope, 
however, is a dangerous instrument of torture ; and I am told 
that the reduction of the allowed number of lashes, from thirty 
to twelve, is no matter of law, but the simple result of the 
imperative benevolence of the governor-general. Von Scholten. 
Any negro has a right to buy his own freedom ; and, in case 
of need, the price is settled by a public appraiser. The con- 
sequence of these benevolent provisions is, that the condition 
of the slaves is improved, and their number is now kept up, 
with a veiy small increase. 

But although slaver^?- in the Danish islands, has undoubtedly 
assumed a mild form, the degradation which it occasions — the 
low physical, intellectual, and moral, condition of the slaves, as 
compared with that of the liberated negroes of the British 
islands — is obvious and unquestionable. The worst feature of 
the system is the " Sunday market," as it is called. The slaves 
are allowed no one of the working days of the week for their 
own business. The consequence is, that multitudes of them 
i^hrong from the country (often from a great distance) into the 
towns of Bassin and West End, on the First-day of the week, 
with their provisions and fruits for sale. The rum shops are hard 
by the market places. The buyers, of course, misuse the day as 
well as the sellers ; and the scene is one, not only of busy traflSc, 



SANTA CRUZ. 19 

but of noisy merriment, idleness, and dissipation. IJefore we 
left Santa Cruz, we called on General Sobdtker, the present 
Governor of the island, to take our leave ; and we ventured to 
press this subject on his consideration, not without some remarks 
on slavery in jtrcnoraj. lie listened to us in a very obliging 
manner, and seemed to look forward to better days ; but his last 
words to us, as we went down his steps from his door, were, 
" Patience, palieiice, patience^ 

It was very satisfactory to us, to learn from our friend Cap- 
tain Van Scholten, the brother of the Governor General (then in 
Denmark) that a commission had been appointed at Copenha- 
gen, to enquire into the state of these colonies, with a view to 
emancipation. In the mean time seven large buildings have 
been erected in different parts of the island, to serve as chapels 
and schools, [for the religious and literaiy instruction of the 
Negro population. They are not yet in use ; but several of the 
planters are making laudable exertions for the education of 
their slaves, in reading, and in a Imowledge of the Holy Scrip- 
tures. A colored person of the name of Macfarlane, in 
every way adapted for the office, is employed for the purpose ; 
this school circulates, with excellent effect, from one estate to 
another. Having been taught their moral and religious obliga- 
tions, the negroes, on these estates, are already greatly improved, 
EQid are much more useful to their masters, than in the days of 
their ignorance. 

The schools held, on the First-day of the week, under the 
care of the members of the Episcopal church, at Bassin and 
West-End, are attended by several hundreds of black, mulatto, 
and white, children. Some of the planters and their wives, are 
united with colored persons and others, as instructers in these 
schools ; and the blessed work is carried on, both among the 
teachers, and the taught, without prejudice of cast, or distinction 
of color. 

I cannot conclude this letter without observing,that the society 
in Santa Cruz, is remarkably agreeable ; and nothing could ex- 
ceed the kindness and hospitality which we received at the 



20 SANTA CRUZ. 

hands of many of the resident proprietors. No denominations 
of Christians, besides the Danish Lutheran church, are there 
tolerated by law, except the Moravians, Roman Catholics, and 
Church of England ; but by the special leave of the Govern- 
ment, we held public meetings for worship in both the towns, 
before we left the island. These were largely attended by per- 
sons of various colors, and conditions, and afforded an opportu- 
nity for the free promulgation of those essential principles of 
Christianity, which lie at the root of pure virtue, and perma- 
nent happiness. 

It is to be hoped that civil and religious freedom, without ob- 
struction or distinction, will ere long exert its genial sway 
over the Danish Colonies. When such is the case, this delight- 
ful island, so remarkable for its even climate, and other natural 
advantages, may reasonably be expected to become as pleasant 
and desirable a residence as can any where be found. Even as 
matters now stand, we left Santa Cruz, after a visit of nearly 
three weeks, with feelings of regret, as well as of gratitude 
and affection towards many of its inhabitants. 

But it is time once more to conclude. 

I am, &c., &c. 



LETTER III 



SAINT THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 



Flushing. L. 1. Sixth-month {June) 3d, 1840, 

My dbab Friend, 

Having performed the religious duties which devolved upon 
us in Santa Cruz, we took a hearty leave of our numerous 
friends, and sailed for St. Thomas, which port we reached on 
the morning of the 26th of the Twelfth-month (December.) 

As you approach St. Thomas from the South, and enter the 
harbor, (the island and town having the same name) the scene 
presented to the view, is one of the most striking in the West 
Indies. The harbor is formed by a narrow inlet of the sea, 
and a land-locked bay within, remarkably commodious as a 
station for shipping. It is a free port of great business — a lit- 
tle emporium of traffic — and we observed, on our arrival, a 
vast number of vessels, lying in the harbor, of various sizes, 
and belonging to different nations. On the left of the entrance, 
is a lofty round hill on which the fort is built ; and on two ele- 
vated spots to the right, are seen, the remains of fortresses, 
once the strong holds of the Buccaneers, who, in days of yore, 
infested the Virgin islands. The town is neatly built on three 
hills, running in a parallel line at the northern, or inland, 
extremity of the bay ; and these are surmounted by picturesque 
conical mountains ; composed, (I believe) of primitive rock, 
and covered with brushwood. One would have supposed that 
when once a vessel has entered this harbor, it must needs be 
in perfect security ; but this is far from being always the case. 
During the fearful hurricane which visited St, Thomas, in the 
eighth month of 1837, one hundred and seventy vessels in the 
bay, were, as I am informed, driven ashore. The loss of life 
and property, on that afflicting occasion, was very considerable. 



22 ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 

We were kindly welcomed, on our landing, by some friends 
of ours, who have a temporary residence in the place, and 
were provided with good accommodation at a large boarding 
house, much frequented by the merchants of the town. The 
approach of a great ball, about to be given in the house, soon 
drove us into a more secluded abode ; but quiet was not then 
to be found in St. Thomas. It was the negro Saturnalia, the 
slaves being allowed a perfect liberty, from " Christmas" to New 
Year's day, to drum, fiddle, dance, and sing, to the utmost ex- 
tent of their wishes. The evil genius of slavery seemed now 
to have assumed the form of a merry-andrew, and we thought 
that the dissipation could not fail to be as unprofitable to the 
negroes, as the din was disagreeable to ourselves. However, 
we dared not judge them — we knew it was their only holyday. 

This island, is at once picturesque and barren. The few 
sugar estates which it contains are of an inferior description, 
and almost the whole population, amounting, as we understood, 
to about 11,000, are concentrated in the town. Populous as is 
the town, it contains only one Protestant place of worship — of 
very moderate size — used on the First-day of the week, by the 
Danish Lutheran, and Dutch Reform churches, in succession. 
By the kind permission of the Dutch Reform pastor, and with 
the consent of the Governor, Major Oxholm, we held in this 
building, our public meeting for worship. The respectability and 
attention of the congregation, afforded us an evidence, that even 
in St. Thomas, there are more than a few persons, who think 
and feel seriously on matters of the highest importance. But 
we greatly fear that among the traffickers of many nations, and 
the confusion of many tongues, in this little Western Tyre, the 
pursuits of religion are generally forgotten. Merchandise by 
day, and gaiety by night, seemed chiefly to engross the atten- 
tion of the residents. Nor could we hear any favorable ac- 
counts of the moral condition of the black and colored popula- 
tion. There are but few married couples among them — loose 
and low habits appear to be general. No one can aver that 



ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 23 

slaveiy, in St. Thomas, is attended by any one advantage, teni- 
por;i.l, civil, moral or spiritual. 

We called one evening at the Moravian establishment whicli 
lies about two miles to tlie westward of the town, and exchanged 
kind looks with the German brother with whom we were 
unable to converse, hi his own language. The religious 
influence of the Moravians, in the Danish islands, althoiigli to 
a certain extent decidedly beneficial, is considerably diminished 
by two circumstances ; first, by their practice of preaching and 
teaching in the Negro-Dutch, a barbarous jargon, now but little 
spoken by the people ; and secondly, by their holding slaves as 
part of the mission properties. It is greatly to be regretted that 
the local Danish government in both islands, is at present greatly 
prejudiced against the Methodists, To be a Methodist, seems 
to be tantamount to being absolutely excluded from the Danish 
colonies. The success which these Christians have met with, 
both among the slaves in your southern States, and among the 
liberated negroes in the British West Indies, affords a plain 
proof, that they might be admitted with entire safety to the 
government, and with the most important benefit to the mass of 
the population. The worst charge which can be made against 
St. Thomas, has relation to the Slave Trade. The Spanish and 
Portuguese slave vessels, frequently come to this port to be 
fitted up for their nefarious adventures on the coast of Africa ; 
here they have free ingress and egress, without the smallest 
interruption from the Danish men-of-war on the station ; and 
on some occasions, they have actually received their supplies of 
gunpowder, from the fort itself. Why should not the treaties 
between Great Britain and Denmark, on the subject of the Slave 
Trade, be followed up by an honest and vigorous co-operation ? 
In a Christain and even Protestant government, (as it professes 
to be) such connivances are extremely disgraceful ; but it may 
be hoped, that the present rulers of Denmark, will bring them 
to a speedy termination. 

It is refreshing to turn from the obliquity and corruption of 
men, to the charms of sceneiy, and the rarities of nature. 



24 ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 

Both these are to be found m St. Thomas. Kindly provided 
by our friends with horses, we occupied some of our early 
mornings, in scaling the hills in several directions ; and the 
views which we obtained of the harbor, the town, and the 
shipping, uiKler various aspects, with the wild country around 
them, were enchanting. From the top of the heights, to the 
north of the town, the sea, with its numerous inlets and rocky 
keys, is visible on both sides ; and a ride of a few miles to 
the eastward, brings you suddenly to a near view of St. John's, 
Tortola, Jose Vandyk, and other picturesque islands, with 
wooded mountains in the foreground, and ocean rolling be- 
tween. But perhaps the greatest object of curiosity, in this 
island, is a prodigious specimen of the Bombax Seva, or silk 
cotton tree, which grows about two miles to the westward of 
the town. This tree which bears a light foliage and pods full 
of a silky cotton, (suitable, we are told, for the manufacture of 
hats) loses its leaves once in the year. Li the present instance, 
it was quite bare — its trunk about fifty feet in circumference, of 
a contorted shape, with high, thin, battlements or projections — 
its vast branches, spreading to a great distance, at right angles 
with the trunk, and shooting out others nearly at right angles 
with themselves — some parts of it encumbered with enormous 
knots. This tree is of African descent ; the specimen now 
described, may fairly be called a vegetable monster. 

On the last day of the year, we embarked on board the brig- 
antine, Eclipse, of Trinidad, Captain Aarestrup, which we had 
hired for a cruise among the islands to the windward, and 
having taken an affectionate leave of the friends who " accom- 
panied us to the ship," set sail for Tortola. 

The distance between the two islands is small ; but our 
voyage was slow and boisterous ; and after passing along the 
highly picturesque coast of St. John's — another Danish island, 
much more cultivated than St. Thomas — we were overtaken by 
the night, before we could make the passage l^etween its eastern 
extremity and Norman's island, which leads to Tortola. A 
night of discomfort and sea siclmess was however amply repaid 



ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 25 

by a safe entrance the next morning, l:)ctwcon fine rocks and 
mountains, into our desired harbor. A skilful negro sailor, 
whom we picked up at St. Thomas, piloted us along a some- 
what difficult course, to Roadstown, in Tortola. The island as 
we approached it, presented a highly interesting appearance ; 
its mountains peaked and picturesque ; and the plains below 
clad with sugar cane. 

With some difficulty we found board and lodging at a tavern 
close by the sea, kept by a singular, colored old lady, named 
McClaverty. Her rooms had been occupied up to that day, 
by some of her relatives who had been dangerously ill with 
fever, and the children of the family were creeping about the 
house, in a most emaciated condition. No alternative offered, 
but to take the apartments ; Ave were assured that there was 
no danger, and we happily escaped without the least infection. 
The constant draughts of a delicious easterly breeze sweeping 
through the house, were indeed sufficient to prevent it ; and that 
we were not in the way of starvation, was evident, from the 
sight which caught our eye, of a number of green turtles in a 
small reservoir of sea water, before the door of the tavern. 
These animals abound among the rocks and keys of the Virgin 
islands, and are common fare at the tables of the gentry. 

We could not but feel an intense interest in making our first 

visit to a British island, peopled with emancipated negroes. 

Out of a population of nearly five thousand, there are scarcely 

more than two hundred white persons ; but we heard of no 

inconveniences arising from this disparity. We had letters to 

Dr. Dyott, the Stipendiary Magistrate, and to some of the 

principal planters, who greeted us with a warm welcome, and 

soon relieved us from our very natural anxiety, by assuring us 

that freedom was working well in Tortola. One of our first 

visits was to a school for black children, under the care of 

Alexander Bott, the pious minister of the Parish church. Tt 

was in good order — the children answered our questions well. 

We then proceeded to the jail ; in which, if my memory ser^^es 

me right, we found only one prisoner, with the jailor, and the 

3 



26 ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 

judg-e ! Our kiiid friend Francis Spencer Wigley, the Chief 
Justice of the British Virgin Islands, happened to be there, and 
cheered us with the information, that crime had vastly decreased 
since the period of full emancipation. I looked over the list of 
commitments to the jail, which, for the most part, are sunmiary, 
for petty offences ; and observed that in the last six months of 
1837, the number committed was one hundred and eighty-six, 
and in the last six months of 1839, only seventy-five, making a 
difference of one hundred and eleven in favor of freedom. 
With regard to heavier offences, the three preceding courts of 
session, (embracing a period of nine months,) were occasions 
of perfect leisure — not a single criminal indictment at any of 
them. 

In the afternoon, we presented one of our letters to William 
R. Isaacs, a most respectable old gentleman, who was once Presi- 
dent of the Island. He was confined to his bed with a sprained 
ancle, and kindly allowed me the use of his excellent riding- 
horse, during our stay at Roadstown. He is himself a con- 
siderable proprietor, and was then acting as attorney to Reid, 
Irving & Co., of London, owners, by mortgage tenure, of a large 
part of the island. In these two capacities, our elderly friend 
hdidi fifteen hundred free negroes under his care ; and since all 
his habits had long been associated with the old system, we 
could not but regard his testimony as of peculiar value. He 
speedily informed us, of his own accord, that his laborers were 
working well. "I have," said he, "no complaint to make." 
The fact that so large a proportion of the island had passed out 
of the hands of the proprietors, into those of the merchant and 
money lender, was a conclusive evidence against slavery. 
With this evidence we could now contrast the happy testimony 
of our friend, in favor of freedom. 

The next morning we mounted our horses at an early hour, 
and in company with Dr. Dyott, and R. V. Shew, an influen- 
tial planter, visited President Isaac's principal property. I ob- 
seiTcd a large company of negroes, male and female, at work 
on the brow of a lofty hill. I rode up to them, in company 



ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 27 

with the overseer, and found them heartily at worlc. Tliey 
were engaged in the laborious occupation of lioling — i. e. dig- 
ging holes with the hoc, for the reception of the cauf.'s ; and 
protecting each hole (as was necessary on that stoop doclivity) 
with a firm embankment. Those who best understood the 
subject, freely acknowledged that their work was excellent. 
We afterwards witnessed similar scenes, and received accounts 
equally satisfactoiy, on the sugar plantations belonging to R. 
V. Shew, and Judge Wigley. The wages of these laborers 
are small, only sixpence sterling per day, with a trifling in- 
crease during crop time ; but I was assured that the privile- 
ges which they enjoy, of a cottage, with good provision grounds, 
rent free, and plenty of pasture for their stock, at least double 
the amount of their wages. The present condition of the 
planters in Tortola is not very favorable, from long continued 
droughts, and a consequent short crop ; but I hope that more 
prosperous seasons will soon lead to an increase of wages. 
This is obviously the best method of preventing the migration 
of the peasantry to Trinidad, to which colony many of them 
have been lured by emissaries sent out for the purpose — under 
the hope of larger returns for their labor. In the mean time 
I am quite willing to aclaiowledge, that the laborers of Tortola 
appeared to us to be in a condition of considerable ease and 
comfort. 

Among the vegetables which they cultivate in their provision 
grounds, we observed the jjigeoii pea, a shrub which grows 
here in great quantities and produces a nutritious pea for the 
table : also the cassava. It has been remarked, that a piece of 
ground cultivated with this root, will produce more food, for 
man, than under any other cultivation whatever. It is a shigu- 
lar circumstance that its juice is a deadly poison, but after this 
has been pressed out, the farinaceous substance which remains, 
is made into an excellent thin bread, like the Scotch oat-cake in 
appearance, but more agreeable to the palate. 

After regaling ourselves with a plentiful breakfast at Judge 
Wigley's pleasant residence on the top of a lofty hill, we pur- 



28 ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 

sued our course through scenery of imcommon beauty — in 
parts almost of a Swiss character. From a mountam called 
Chateau Belah-, we obtained a view, at once, of almost all the 
islands of the Virgin group, with their satellites or keys. They 
are very numerous, and mostly rise very boldly from the sea. 
The prmcipal of them are St. Johns, St. Thomas, Tortola, 
Jose Yandyk, Norman's, Ginger, Peter's, Goodman's, Beef and 
Guana islands (the latter remarkable for the Guana lizards) 
and Virgin Gorda or Spanish town. The scene was magnif- 
icent. There are no roads, on this island, for carriages — only 
rocky and precipitous mountain paths, for journeys on horse- 
back or foot. The wild flowers are still more beautiful here 
than in Santa Cruz. The great aloe, called the century plant, 
abounds, and has a very picturesque appearance, and there are 
many prodigious plants of the cactus tribe. Pink, purple, 
red, and yellow convolvoluses, are seen creeping about in all 
directions ; and the splendid " pride of Barbadoes" is common. 
The white jasmine occurs in the hedges, and a small tree called 
the Panchupan, bears profuse branches of large white flowers 
of fragrant jasmine odor. The brown pelicans float about the 
coast in great numbers, and we were told that the neighboring 
low island of Anegada is frequented by the flamingo. At the 
distance of many hundred yards, when on the brow of a lofty 
hill, we distinctly saw a shark playing among the waves — an 
evidence of the remarkable clearness both of the air and water. 
Many of the hills are covered with luxuriant " guinea grass," 
and afford excellent pasture for cattle, sheep and goats. A 
large proportion of these animals belong to the negroes. 
The cows are sleek and beautiful, and the milk excellent. 
Another day was spent in a boat excursion, to the Western 
extremity of the island, in order to visit some of the estates 
under the care of our friend Isaac Thomas, another of the 
principal attorneys on the island. In the course of our voy- 
age, the sailors caught some fish so curiously striped and spot- 
ted, as to receive the name of " lizard" fish — and on landing, we 
observed the shore strewn with handsome specimens of the 



ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 



29 



echinus, or sea egg. We found the sujrar plantations under 
the care of our friend, in fair order. Ih em])loys two hun- 
dred and fifty free negroes, and assured us that " he had not the 
sUghtest complaint to make respecting them." On the exam- 
ination of the accounts of two of the properties, it appeared that 
he was decidedly saving money, by the substitution of free 
labor, on moderate wages, for the dead weight of slavery. Af- 
ter partaking, with several other persons, of, this gentleman's 
abundant hospitality, he accompanied us to Windy Hill, the seat 
of the President, Hay Drummond Hay, an agreeable and 
sensible young man, who received us with great politeness. 
Our friends had now once more provided us with horses ; and 
a long ride, by rocky paths, over steep mountains, brought us 
home to Roadstown, in safety — but not until after sunset. 

Tortola was once the seat of a little society of Friends, and 
one of our most eminent travelling ministers of former days, 
Thomas Chalkley, found there a field of labor, and a grave. 
There are no members of the Society now on the island, but 
there is a small community of black people, settled, as tenants 
in common, on an estate once belonging to Samuel and Mary 
Nottingham, quakers of high character. About sixty years ago, 
they liberated their slaves, from conscientious motives, and gave 
them their estate, at Longlook, on the eastern coast. A letter 
of christian advice addressed to their predecessors by these pious 
persons, then livmg at Bristol, is still cherished by the negroes 
on the property, about sixty in number, and held as a sort of 
title deed to the estate. We had great pleasure in visiting them. 
Their land is on the brow of a mountain, and a considerable 
part of it is well cultivated with yams, and other vegetables. 
We held a religious meeting with them, in the largest of their 
cottages, and were entirely satisfied with their respectable ap- 
pearance, and orderly behavior. 

Our concluding day at Tortola, was the first of the week. 

We had appointed a public meeting for worship for the morning, 

in the Methodist meeting house. The excellent missionaries 

then stationed there, Bates and Stepney, being Idndly willing 

3* 



30 



ST. THOMAS AND TORTOLA. 



to make way for us. So effectual have been the labors of these 
missionaries and their precursors, among the liberated negroes, 
that they now number nearly 2000 members of their church, 
besides attenders — more than a thu-d of the whole population ! 
The attendance of the laboring people, on the present occasion, 
was large ; they were dressed with the greatest neatness, chiefly 
in white clothing, which forms a contrast with their sable hue, 
pleasing to the eye of a stranger, and peculiarly agreeable to 
their own taste. Without a word being said to them on the sub- 
ject, they sat for a considerable time in solemn silence — a prac- 
tice to which they had never been accustomed — and afterwards 
listened to the discourse addressed to them, with eager and de" 
vout attention. The occasion was one of deep interest to our- 
selves, and we could not avoid perceiving, that freedom was 
workinof well as a handmaid to religion. 

In the afternoon we crossed the water on a visit to the African 
settlement, at Kingstown bay. It consists of several hundred 
Africans, taken out of captured slave ships, and located on a 
tract of land, allotted them by order of the British Government. 
We had heard reports of their poverty and idleness ; but these 
were belied by their decent and respectable appearance. A 
church is now in course of building for their use, under the 
orders of the Bishop of Barbadoes ; and a school has been 
already formed for the education of their children. About three 
hundred of them assembled, under the shade of a large tamarind 
tree, and it has seldom fallen to my lot to address a more feeling, 
or apparently more intelligent, congregation. One thing m 
clear and unquestionable — that the African mind is abundantly 
susceptible of instruction in the great doctrines and principles of 
the Christian religion. 

I am, <fcc., (fee, 



yiCf 



LETTER IV. 



SAINT CHRISTOPHER'S. 



Flushing. L. 1. Sixth-month {June) 4M, 1840. 

My dear Friend, 

A dead beat to the windward with a rough sea, and on board 
a small vessel, is certainly no luxury, but such are the incon- 
veniences to which one is very apt to be exposed, during a 
cruise among the West India Islands. After beating along the 
coast of Tortola for some hours, we made for the open sea, by 
the Round-rock passage, and after a night of comfortless toss- 
ing, found ourselves next morning, within sight of Saba, The 
lofty peaks of that island are very handsome — its appearance 
being that of a single mountain, rising precipitously from the 
sea. It belongs to the Dutch ; and the community of small 
proprietors who dwell there, are said to be a little world to them- 
selves, depending very little on any distant government, but 
supporting themselves by their own industry, in boat-building, 
fishing, <fcc. Our headwind, after a time, was exchanged for a 
calm, than which scarcely any state of the ocean is less agreea- 
ble to the mariner. The rudder no longer acts ; exertion of 
every kind is fraitless ; the sails flutter ; the vessel rolls, but 
makes no progress, and one feels oneself to be imprisoned on the 
waters, beyond the reach of all human help. On the present 
occasion we consoled ourselves by endeavoring to describe our 
misfortune — " a calm at sea." 



In vain the mast is reared on high. 
In vain the sails are spread, 

Our bark refuses now to fly, 
Or even cree^ ahead. 



32 ST. Christopher's. 

From side to side she still can roll, 

And bid old Ocean bubble, 
But lost her rudder's firm control, 

Useless her seamen's trouble. 
Patience grown sullen, drops her wing, 

And senseless Contemplation, 
Of every brighter, better thing 

Seems to usurp the station. 
But let me for the mind propose 

A worthier employment, 
That as each tardy minute flows,. 

May minister enjoyment. 
Draw from the circumstance and scene. 

A lesson worth the learning. 
For so, ye best may prove, I ween. 

Your gift of true discerning. 
The ship of science, sails of art. 

And rudder of man's reason, 
Play but a miserable part. 

Without heaven's breeze in season. 
Vain are the puny powers of man. 

And vain his restless action — 
Only the good old gospel plan 

Can yield us satisfaction. 
But grace resisted, all is death, 

E'en where the gospel's given : 
Only the Spirit's vital breath, 

Can waft the soul to heaven. 

This is a scene, and these are verses, Nvhich might be better 
fitted for a page in Pilgrim's Progress — nevertheless the senti- 
ments here expressed are true. As we passed along on our 
voyage, our bait was taken by a noble dolphin — one of the 
handsomest creatures I have seen — bright azure, with dark 
spots above, and white below. We caught a good view of 
him as sailor Sam, our intelligent negro, was drawing him out 
of the water ; when he gave himself a curming twist, and 
escaped. At another time, our fisherman pulled up a baracoota, 
a noble fish, of the appearance of a pike, and when grown to its 
full size, as voracious and dangerous as a shai'k. Fresh fish 



^% 



ST. Christopher's. 33 

for dinner was a luxury which we enjoyed on the occasion ; but 
for my own, part I paid dearly for our entertainment, which was 
the probable cause of an indisposition of three Avocks' contimi- 
ance, and not to be coutrolcd by medicine. I afterwards found 
that these creatures are often poisonous, a circumstance ascribed 
to their feedincr on some of the copper-banks, below the waters, 
which are said to be frequent among some of these islands. 

During the course of tliis voyage, we were within sight at 
once, of several islands, Saba, already described ; Anguilla, a 
small island, deriving its name, 1 presume, from its snake-like 
appearance ; St. Martin's, St. Bartholomew, St. Eustatia, and in 
the distance, St. Christopher's. We were sorry to learn, that 
Anguilla is not in so prosperous a condition as many of the 
neighbormg British islands. How it fares with the laborers, I 
know not ; but as it is a poor island, it is probable that many of 
them have been induced to quit it, under the inducement of 
higher wages in other colonies. With regard to the white 
inhabitants, we were told that they had expended their compen- 
sation money somewhat too easily, and were reduced to a state 
of no small poverty and distress. I believe there is some view 
entertained of converting it into a penal settlement. St. Martin's, 
belonging partly to the French and partly to the Dutch, and St. 
Bart's, a Swedish island, once a place of much resort as a free 
port, but now little frequented, present to the eye, as one passes 
by, a picturesque outline. This remark, however, applies with 
greater force to St. Eustatia, which rises to a great height, and 
has all the appearance of an extinct volcano. I am told that it 
is so, in fact : the plain at the bottom of the mountain, of small 
extent, appeared, in the distant view, to be green with sugar 
cultivation. 

The approach to St. Christopher's from the north west, is 
highly interesting. The northern part of the island is moun- 
tainous and clothed with forest ; and as we drew near to tlie 
coast, it was delightful to obsen^e the brows of the hills and 
plains below, bright and verdant with the sugar cane — the 
settlements of the pUinters looking neat and prosperous — some 



34 ST. Christopher's. 

of the wind-mills turning— companies of negroes seen, in the 
distance, at work in the fields — neat places of worship visible- - 
and eight large vessels, with other smaller ones, in the harbor 
of Basse-terre, waiting, as we presumed, for their cargoes of 
sugar. A more remarkable prima-facie evidence of prosperity, 
I have seldom witnessed. This evidence we afterwards found 
to be fully confirmed. 

On our arrival at Basse-terre — a low, hot and dusty little 
town — we met with no small disappointment in the absence of 
the Lieutenant Governor, Charles Thornton Cunningham, a 
young friend and connection of mine, whom we were very 
desirous of visiting. He was gone to Antigua, on an official 
visit to Sir William Colebrooke, the Governor General of the 
Leeward islands. No suitable accommodation was to be obtain- 
ed at the taverns, and with the kind invitation of the President 
of the Council, W. H. Crook, and of .T. T. Pedder, the Gover- 
nor's Secretary, we took possession for a short sejour, of the 
government house, a commodious airy building, at a short dis- 
tance from the town. There we found kind attentions and 
agreeable accommodations, and were glad to be even so far out 
of the way of an epidemic fever, occasioned probably by the 
malaria of a salt marsh to the windward, which was then raging 
in the town — considerable numbers dying daily. 

Early the next morning, I mounted one of the Governor's 
horses, and enjoyed a solitary ride in the countiy. Although it 
was the seventh day of the week, usually applied by the eman- 
cipated laborers, to their private pui-poses, I observed many of 
them diligently at work on the cane grounds, cutting the canes 
for the mill. Their aspect was that of physical vigor, and 
cheerful contentment, and all my questions as I passed along, 
were answered satisfactorily. On my way, I ventured to call 
at one of the estates, and found it was the home of Robert Clax- 
ton, the Solicitor General of the Colony, a gentleman of great 
intelligence and respectability. He was kind enough to impart 
a variety of useful, and in general, cheering, information. One 
fact mentioned by him, spoke volumes. Speaking of a small 



' ST. Christopher's. 35 

property on the island belonging to himself, he said, " Six 
years ago, (that is, shortly before the act of emancipation,) it 
was worth only ,£2,000, with the slaves upon it. Now, without 
a single slave, it is worth three times the money. I would not 
sell it for £6,000." This remarkable rise in the v;ihio of pro- 
perty, is by no means confined to particular estates. I was 
assured that, as compared with tliose times of depression and 
alarm which preceded the act of emancipation, it is at once 
general and very considerable. I lusked the President Crook, 
and some other persons, Avhether there was a single indi- 
vidual on the island, who wished for the restoration of slavery. 
Answer, " Certainly not one." 

After breakfast I was joined by our kind friend, Archi- 
bald Burt, a lawyer of eminence, who accompanied me on 
horseback for many miles, over lofty hills, to a village called 
Cayon. The view, from these hills, of the cultivated plains 
below, the town, the shipping, the sea, and the mountainous 
island of Nevis, in the distance, was grand and beautiful. 
The highlands of St. Christopher's are evidently worthy of a 
more diligent examination than it was possible for us to give 
them. They are clothed with a forest of hard wood, chietly, 
I believe, a tree with laurel-like leaves, and large pink bell- 
formed blossoms, (of which I observed many specimens,) called 
on the island, the white cedar. These woods abound with 
monkeys, mischievous enough among the canes, but always 
too cunning to be caught or shot. They regularly employ 
a sentinel in advance, who sets up a terrible screeching as 
soon as danger approaches. " Mount Miseiy," the loftiest in 
the island, is henceforth (the Lieutenant Governor afterwards 
assured us) to be called " Mount Liberty." It is an extinct 
volcano, 3,700 feet high ; the crater is 2,600 feet in depth ; 
the bottom of it is said to be a level of fifty acres, of which 
seven are covered with a lake, and the rest with grass and 
trees. Streams of hot water impregnated with sulplun*, still 
issue from the fissures. 

Handsome wild flowers, and flowerinof shmbs, are common 



36 ST. Christopher's. 

in St. Christophers, as well as Tortola ; especially large hedges 
of aloes. One of the most valuable productions of the island is 
the " Tous-les-mois," so called from the notion that it blossoms 
every month. It is a beautiful plant resembling the Canna 
Indica, and from its root is obtained a substance extremely 
similar, in appearance and taste, to arrow-root ; equally nutri- 
tious, and better suited to a delicate stomach. This substance 
is gradually becoming an important article of export. As to 
the staple article of sugar, we found the island in a condition 
of prosperity. It was supposed that the crop on the ground, 
which to us appeared heavy and luxuriant, would produce at 
least the usual average of 7,000 hogsheads ; and no difficulty 
whatever was apprehended in realising- it. We accompanied 
our friend Burt to Ottley's, — a well managed sugar estate, be* 
longing to himself and Judge Wigley of Tortola, — where we 
again examined the process of sugar-making, and again saw 
the negroes diligently at work, on the day which they usually 
reserve for their own business. 

The day's wages, in this island, are from 7d. to 9d. sterling 
per day, besides the usual privileges ; but the negroes have no 
difficulty in earning from 2s, to 3s. sterling per day by job 
work. Under this system, particularly, they perform a far 
greater quantity of work in a given time, than could be ob- 
tained from them under slavery. " They will do an infinity 
of work," said one of my informants, '■^for wages. ^^ 

This state of things is accompanied by a vast increase in 
their own comforts. Our friend Cadman, the Methodist minis- 
ter, was on this station, during slaveiy, in the year 1826. He 
has now returned to it under freedom. " The change for the 
better," he obseiwed, "in the dress, demeanor, and welfare of 
the people, is prodigious." The imports are vastly increased. 
The duties on them were £1,000 more in 1838, than in 1837; 
and in 1839, double those of 1838, within £150. This sur- 
prising increase is owing to the demand on the part of the free 
laborers, for imported goods, especially for articles of dress. 
The difficulty experienced by the gentry living in the town, in 



ST. Christopher's. 37 

procuring fowls, eggs, &.C., from the negroes, is considerably 
increased. The reason is well known, — the laliorers make 
use of them for home consumption. Marriage is now become 
frequent amongst them, and a profusion of eggs is expended on 
their wedding cakes ! Doubtless they will soon learn to ex- 
change these freaks of hixury, lor the gradual acquisition of 
wealth. 

We had nuicli pleasure in calling on the Moravian establish- 
ment at Cayon, under the care of Brother Miinzer. It seemed 
to be admirably conducted : he has three hundred children in 
his school. Another of their establishments, at Basse-terre, is 
equally prosperous. We visited the school there, and examined 
the children. Their answers to our questions, were lively and 
correct. Crime, and petty offences, are greatly diminished, since 
the date of full freedom. Education in useful knowledge, and 
religious instruction are rapidly advancing. There are nine 
churches on the island, under the Establishment ; six Methodist 
chapels, and three Moravian institutions. The Moravians have 
3,000 members by birth and otherwise ; the Methodists 2,899 
in church communion, besides attenders. These numbers in- 
clude a vast proportion of the population, which is calculated 
at 20,000. 

To the favorable account of this island, which our own ob- 
servation has thus enabled us to give, I will now add the 
testimony of the Lieut. Governor, received in a letter, after 
the lapse of three months from the date of our visit. "I 
have," says he, " just received the reports of the stipendiaiy 
magistrates, as to the general state of their respective districts 
on this island. I am thankful to say that they are, without ex- 
ception, most cheering and satisfactory. These reports will be 
transmitted home, and if similar reports are forwarded from the 
rest of the West Indies, the friends of the negro must feel proud 
and grateful. I do not mean to say that individual proprietors 
and laborers do not occasionally complain of each other ; but 
certainly in the mass, the proprietors of this island evince a 
willingness to adopt conciliatory measures, and pay a Hiir re- 



38 ST. Christopher's. 

mimerative price for labor ; and the laborers are eager to work 
for fair wages." In a subsequent part of his letter he says, " A 
public dinner was given here a few days since, at which (won- 
derful to relate) white and colored men sat down together, 
cheek by jowl, in good humor and good fellowship," 

Our visit to St. Kitt's, like that to Tortola, ended with the first 
day of the week, during which we held large religious meetings 
in the Methodist and Moravian meeting houses. These were 
attended by persons of every color and condition, — chiefly 
black. The throng in the evening, notwithstanding the dan- 
ger of fever, was much too great to be accommodated in the 
house, but strict attention and good order nevertheless pre- 
vailed ; and we parted from one another in the flowing of 
mutual good will. 

I can scarcely conclude without noticing an instance of that 
special providence, without which, not a sparrow falls to the 
ground. Disappointed as we were at not finding the Lieut. 
Governor at home, it was owing to this circumstance that we 
continued only three days on the island. He has since been 
assured by the physicians, that had we prolonged our visit, 
even to the extent of a week, there would have been no proba- 
bility of our escaping the ravages of the fever. As it was, we 
left St. Christopher's in health and peace. 

I am, <fcc. &c. 



LETTER V 



ANTIGUA. 



Flushing, L. I. 6th Month, (June) 4th, 1840. 

My dear Pribnd. 

On the 13th of the First Month, ( Januaiy,) we set sail from 
St. Kitt's for Anti^ia — another beat to the windward, which we 
accompHshed in two days. There is a passage for those who 
are acquainted with it, through the narrows, between St. Kitt's 
and Nevis, but our captain preferred the longer course round 
the latter island. This gave us the opportunity of taking a de- 
liberate view of its beautiful contour ; the concave circular line 
of its mountain towards the south, sweeps down grandly to the 
plain below, which appeared to be extensive and well cultivated. 
Being desirous of overtaking our friend Cunningham before he 
should leave Antigua," we could not visit either this island, or 
Montserrat, which with its extinct volcano and souffriere, soon 
appeared in view — temptmg enough from its picturesque 
beauty. 

Here again we afterwards found occasion to recognize the 
hand of a kind and wise Providence, for dangerous fever was 
prevalent, at the time, on both these islands. In Montserrat, it 
was said to be occasioned by an animal compost imported from 
Europe, and imprudently used for manure. Although we were 
not able to visit these islands, we were afterwards furnished 
with satisfactory accounts from both of them, of the deportment 
and condition of the peasantry. The report of the stipendiary 
magistrate of Nevis, to the Governor General, for the half year 
ending with the Eleventh month, (November,) 1839, states, 
"that the conduct of the laborers was peaceable and orderly, and 
that a good understanding generally prevailed between them 



<, 



40 ANTIGUA. 

and their employers — that schools are numerous and well at- 
tended, marriages frequent, and the Sabbath well observed." 
The following report from H. Hamilton, the President of 
Montserrat, to Sir Wm. Colebrooke, dated " January 10th, 
1840," seems to be every thing that either the politician or phi- 
lanthropist could desire. " It affords me great satisfaction to 
report to your Excellency, the orderly and good conduct of our 
laboring population. During the Christmas holy-days, our 
churches and chapels were crowded to excess by a well dressed 
peasantiy, and our jail nearly untenanted. The laborers have 
all returned to their agricultural avocations with a degree of 
punctuality, which, I hope and trust, will insure the future pros- 
perity of the colony. The prospects for 1841, ariS veiy promis- 
ing. The laborers are settling themselves down quietly and 
contentedly, abounding in provisions, and their growing crops 
in a high state of cultivation. I am happy to say that the dif- 
ferences and jealousies which existed between the parties are 
wearing away, and giving place to better feelings. Job-work 
is daily gaining ground. The system of weekly cash payments 
to the laborers, to the almost total exclusion of credit and barter, 
is now so completely established, and so punctually acted on, 
that a case of complaint rarely occurs, and the absence of a 
contract act is not felt at present." The stipendiary magistrate 
of the same island observes, " that repairs and additions to the 
leal property in the town are going on ; that the value of land 
in the countiy is increased ; that an estate which was lately 
purchased for bet^veen five and six thousand pounds, (then 
considered a good sale,) would not now be parted with for 
£8000 ; that the amount of imports is much increased ; that 
marriages among the peasantry are numerous, schools improved 
and extended, and the progress in general morals satisfactory," 
These testimonies were confirmed by our friend John Cox 
Collins, the Rector of Montserrat, whom we afterwards met in 
Antigua. He informed us that the free-laborers there are work- 
ing well, and that the present crop was estimated at 1500 hogs- 
heads, being a high average. The negroes who attend his 



ANTIGUA. 41 

church, insisted last year, on expressing, by some Ui.iiik-oflering) 
their gratitude to God for the blessings which they were enjoy- 
ing, under freedom ; they subscribed £15 15s to be expended in 
a silver goblet for the communion table ; and on the same 
ground, in the present year, they are again subscribing their 
money to supply the table with silver cups. 

The reefs near the coast of Antigua are numerous ; and as 
we lay to, on our approach to it during the night, we were ex- 
posed to some danger. Early in the morning, however, a pilot 
boarded us, and we made a safe entrance into the beautiful har- 
bor of St. John's. The appearance of this island, from the sea, 
although singular from the grotesque form of many of the 
rocky hills, is not so picturesque as that of St. Christopher's ; 
but the green and orderly-looking fields of cane, and the nume- 
rous vessels waiting, in the harbor, for sugar, again afforded us 
a prima-facie evidence of prosperity. We cast anchor about 
noon below the fort, and were rowed a long distance in a boat 
to St. John's. This town is of considerable size, pleasant and 
airy, and greatly increased and improved since the date of 
freedom. We had heard much of the yellow fever here ; it 
had been for sometime prevalent with a decided type, but it 
was now gone by ; the last lingering case expiring soon after 
our arrival. Good rooms and sufficient entertainment awaited 
us at an hotel kept by a colored female named Appleby. 

Although I was in weak health during our stay, of two weeks, 
in Antigua, objects of interest, and opportunities for religious 
service, presented themselves in rapid succession, A few brief 
memoranda from our diary, will lead to some developement of 
the state of the colony. 

1st Month, (Januaiy) 15th, "How are the laborers going 
on ?" said I to the pilot who brought us into port. " Beauti- 
fully," replied he — " eight estates which had been broken up 
under slavery, are now again in cultivation." This informa- 
tion was afterwards substantially confirmed. Only six of these 
estates, however, had been broken up, namely: Potter's, Dun- 
ning's, Jenning's, Patterson's, Tranquil Vale, and Hill-house ; 



42 ANTIGUA. 

the other two were stock farms — the whole eight are now un- 
der cultivation for sugar. It cannot be denied that the first 
fact of which we were informed respecting Antigua, speaks 
volumes. 

On our arrival, we called on William Walker, secretary to 
the Governor General, and stipendiary magistrate. He in- 
formed us that our friend Cunningham, and the Governor, were 
expected at St. John's, from Dow's Hill, (Sir William's country 
residence) the next morning. In answer to a few enquiries 
respecting the state of things, he informed us that the laborers 
were working well, for the low wages of from sixpence to nine- 
pence sterling per day, with the usual privileges ; but that they 
could earn two or three shillings sterling per day by job-work, 
which was becoming general ; and that the last year's crop of 
sugar was upwards of 20,000 hogsheads. It also appears that 
the crop now on the ground, is one of excellent promise. 

We also visited our friend James Cox, the able and energetic 
Methodist Minister. " Things," said he " are prosperous ; the 
planters are doing well, the negroes are working well, and their 
comforts are greatly increased." He kindly offered to give up 
his service that evening, that we might hold a Friends' meeting 
in their large new meeting house. We accepted his offer — the 
meeting was well attended and satisfactory. The Methodists 
are very prosperous in Antigua; they have several stations, 
chapels, and schools, and nearly three thousand members of 
their church, besides attenders. 

1st Month(Jan.) 16th. — On calling at theGovernment house, we 
found our friend Cunningham, with whomi exchanged the warm 
greetings of old friendship, and was glad to be able to tell him, 
that at St. Christopher's, during his absence, we had heard, from 
all parties, unequivocal accounts of his good government. He 
introduced us to Sir William Colebrooke, the Governor General, 
who received us with great kindness, and warmly invited us to 
his house. Sir William has occupied many successive stations 
in the British colonial seiTice, and in various parts of the 
world. He is a person of much talent, information, and reflec- 



ANTIGUA. 43 

tion; steadfast and patient in the pursuit of llu; public good, and 
of the utmost simplicity of manners. He meets with a sortof pas- 
sive resistance from the local council and legislature ; but bears 
the opposition of his neighbors with an unruflled temper. One 
of his favorite plans is the union of all the leeward islands under 
one general le<i-islature, which he considers to be their original 
constitution — a plan which at once recommends itself, as far 
more desirable than that of a great number of separate little par- 
liaments ; but in this attempt, he has hitherto been fiiistrated. 
Our company was uoav joined by Nathaniel Gilbert, an evan- 
gelical clergyman of the church of England, and a large 
proprietor and planter on the island. Both he and Sir William, 
amply confirmed our previous favorable impressions respecting 
the state of the colony. On my enquiring of them respecting 
the value of landed property, their joint answer was clear and 
decided. "At the lowest computation, the land, without a 
single slave upon it, is fully as valuable now, as it Avas, inclu- 
ding all the slaves, before emancipation." In other words, the 
value of the slaves is already transferred to the land. Satisfac- 
tory as is this computation, I have every reason to believe that 
it is much below the mark. With respect to real property in 
the town of St. John's, it has risen in value, with still greater 
rapidity. A large number of new stores have been opened ; 
new houses are built or building ; the streets have been cleared 
and improved ; trade is greatly on the increase ; and the whole 
place wears the appearance of progressive wealth and prosper- 
ity. 

Under the guidance of our friend Cunningham, we next 
called on Robert Holberton, the Vicar of St. John's, a laborious 
and devoted minister, and examined his excellent inlant school 
of black children, who gave us answers to our questions, (par- 
ticularly in Scripture history,) with surprising readiness and 
accuracy. The vicar then conducted us to the premises of the 
daily-meal society, where the destitute poor are fed with soup 
and other wholesome articles, and the sick and disabled, sup- 



4'4 ANTIGUA. 

plied with lodging, boarding, and medical care. This admira- 
ble institution, which flourishes under his own superintendence, 
is supported partly by voluntary subscriptions, and partly by 
grants of the local legislature. We now proceeded to the state 
house, where we were introduced to several of the leading 
oflScials, and listened to a debate in the local legislature, which 
was then in session. A colored member was pleading with 
" honorable members" for the refunding of expenses incurred 
in making a certain road. The application was refused on the 
ground that " this house" could pay for no roads which did not 
lead to some sugar estate — an obvious relic of the old system. 

A drive of eight miles over a flat country, well cultivated, 
partly with provisions, and partly with sugar cane, brought us 
to " Gilberts" — the spacious old mansion, and one of the sugar 
estates, of our friend Nathaniel Gilbert, who with his pious and 
agreeable lady, freely offered us their house for a home, during 
any part of our stay on the island. Nothing could be more 
satisfactory than the state of the property. His molasses alone, 
last year, paid the whole expenses of the estate, including 
labor ; the large produce of sugar, which had met with a 
high price in the British market, was therefore clear gain. 
Our friend is too consistent a Christian, to manufacture rum. 
We understood that he received $25,000 as a compensation for 
his slaves. He assured us that this sum was a mere present put 
into his pocket — a gratuity on which he had no reasonable 
claim. Since his land, Avithout the slaves, is at least of the 
same value as it was with the slaves, before emancipation, and 
since his profits are increased, rather than diminished, this con- 
sequence follows of course ; but what figures can represent the 
relief which he experiences in his OAvn emancipation from the 
trammels of slaveholding ? Our friend has built a neat chapel 
on his estate, in which we held a religious meeting in the even- 
ing, with his black peasantiy. The subject which arose before 
us, was the rest of heaven. The negroes listened with reve- 
rent attention, and after our meeting was finished, they broke 



ANTIGUA. 46 

f 

out, iind(n- tlio guidance of their beloved " mistress," into a 
sweet sounding hymn, which had reference to the same topic. 

Sir Bethel C^drington, an absentee proprietor, whose land 
borders on " Gilberts," is said to be deriving £20,000 sterling, 
per annum, from his sugar estates, in Antigua. Whether this 
statement is exaggerated or not, I cannot say ; but there can be 
no question, that his revenues, from this source, are veiy large. 
He was a noted advocate, during the late conflict for freedom, 
in our country, for the continuance of slavery. Circumstances 
have now proved, that emancipation to him, has been any- 
thing rather than the road to ruin. Nearly the same remark 
applies to a respectable member of parliament, whose property 
in Antigua, during slavery, was in decay — unprofitable and by 
all accounts, almost niinous. Now it produces an excellent 
income. I had the pleasure of viewing his cane fields ; they 
were iii fine order, full of pecuniary promise. 

I understood from our friend Gilbert, that during slavery, half 
his people were operative, at one time, and half dead weight, i. e. 
doing nothing ; when freedom came, the rate of wages was so ar- 
ranged by the planters, that the amount paid to the working half, 
should just equal the expense formerly incurred in supporting 
the whole body. Thus twenty slaves, at £5 per head, per an- 
num, and ten free laborers at £10 per head, per annum, would 
amount to the same sum of £100. In that case the only sav- 
ing by the change would result from the circumstance, that each 
free laborer, under the inducement of wages, would do more 
work than a slave by coercion, especially when (as in the case 
of N. Gilbert) the coercion was gentle. But had our friend's 
operative portion of slaves, been only one-third-, instead of a 
half, and the number of his free laborers the same, his saving 
would have been 33^ per cent. Now a subsequent and some- 
what extensive enquiry has led us to the conviction, that on 
most of the properties of Antigua, and in general throughout 
the West Indies, one-third only of the slaves were operative. 
What with childhood, age, infiraiity, sickness, sham sickness, 



46 ANTIGUA. 

and other causes, full two-thirds of the negro population, might 
be regarded as dead weight. And further, the number of 
free laborers employed for the same quantity of work, is now 
decidedly less than this third. We may therefore fairly reckon 
that the pecuniary saving, on many of the estates in Antigua, 
by the change of slave for free labor, is at least thirty per 
cent. If the interest of money on the investment in slaves, is 
added to the debit amount under slavery, the comparison 
becomes much more favorable on the side of freedom. Be- 
sides this affair of arithmetic, however, there is the general 
consideration, that slavery and waste, are twin sisters, whereas, 
freedom is married to economy. Under the generous stimulus 
of equal liberty, short methods of labor are invented, machin- 
ery is introduced, every man, black and white, is thrown 
upon his own exertions, and into the whole community, co- 
operation infuses wealth. "All circumstances considered," 
says Dr. Nugent, the late speaker of the Assembly at Antigua, 
" I am happy to say, that the free-labor system is the cheapest, 
and incalculably so on those properties which were mcumbered 
by an unnecessary quantity of hands." 

1st Month (Jan.) 17th. — We had much satisfaction in visiting 
Newfield, a Moravian establishment — the missionary has a good 
school and large congregation. The same remark applies to 
tiieir establishment at St. John's, which we inspected on a 
subsequent occasion. The Moravians have actually twelve 
thousand souls under their care in Antigua, one-third of the 
whole population. We are able to bear a clear and decisive 
testimony to their usefulness in the British Islands ; there it is 
impeded by no Negro-Dutch, and by no holding of their fellow 
men as property. At Newfield, we were met by Sir William 
Colebrooke's carriage, which conveyed us to Dow's Hill. As 
we passed along through a picturesque country, we observed a 
curious species of cactus, abounding on the road-side ; it is 
called the Turk's head — bearing a strange resemblance to the 
head of a man — the blossoms at the top, looking like a red 
cap or turban. 



ANTIGUA. 47 

The Governor's house is built on a hill, overlooking English 
Harbor, a snug inlet of the sea, very commodious for shipping, 
with a little town adjoining. From a still higher eminence 
•near at hand, called Sliirley Heights, the view of the harbor, 
and surrounding rocks and mountains, is one of uncommon 
interest and beauty. One object which we just descried in the 
distance, excited peculiar feelings. It was a small Baltimore 
clipper used in the slave trade, which some British cruiser had 
captured, under American colors. After the capture, she was 
sent to the United States, disowned by the American govern- 
ment, and finally brought into this harbor. When captured, 
she was only fitted up for the trade ; but had previously carried 
three hundred slaves across the ocean. By what cruel and 
expert contrivance, so large a number of human beings had 
been stowed in so small a space, we were wholly unable to 
conjecture. The fact however was undeniable. 

Nothing could be more obliging than the welcome which we 
received from the Governor, and his lady and family. We 
soon formed an affectionate friendship with them ; our friend 
Cunningham, Avas of the company ; and in the evening, we 
held a religious meeting, in the saloon, with the family, their 
attendants, friends, and neighbors, white, brown and black. 
Tnie liberality was evidently prevailing at Dow's Hill. 

1st Month 18th. — We received a call from an intelligent lady 
of rank, who holds considerable property on this island. Her 
estate under slavery, was heavily mortgaged ; but under the 
genial influence of the new system, is now free, or nearly free, 
from its burdens. We are told that many such instances have 
occurred m Antigua. Returned invalided to " Gilberts." 

1st Month 19th, First day of the week. — We had appointed a 
meeting at a country village called Parham. It was a morning 
of violent rain ; but about two hundred negroes braved the 
weather, and united with us in public worship. It is said that 
they are less willing to come out to their places of worship in 
the rain^ than was the case formerly. The reason is curious. 



48 ANTIGUA. 

They now have shoes and stockings, which they are unwilUng 
to expose to the mud. 

In the evening the weather was clear, and we met a con- 
gregation, computed to be two thousand in number, at the 
Methodist meeting-house in St. John's. It was an occasion of 
great solemnity, a large proportion of that respectable-looking 
assembly (for such it was) we afterwards found to have been 
composed of emancipated negroes. I trust it was not unsuit- 
ably, that we were reminded on the occasion, of the apostle's 
words, " Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty. Only use 
not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but in love serve 
one another." 

The next morning we visited the Mico normal school. One 
Lady Mico, some two hundred years ago, bequeathed a pro- 
perty, to be expended in ransoming Christian captives from 
the Moors. The property has now become large ; and under 
a late decree of the British Court of Chancery, the revenues 
arising from it, are appropriated to the purpose of scriptural ed- 
ucation — but without sectarian bias — in the West Indies. The 
school at St. John's, under this institution, is applied to the 
instruction not only of children, in reading, writing, (fee, but 
of teachers, in the art of education. It is admirably conducted, 
and is likely to become extensively useful. It is a cheering 
circumstance of no small importance, that there are no less, as 
we were told, than seven thousand scholars in the various 
charity schools of Antigua. In all these schools the Bible is 
read and taught. Who can doubt the beneficial moral effect of 
these extensive efforts ? 

The moral improvement of the negro population is amply 
evinced by two facts — the increase of marriage, and the de- 
crease of crime. 

The vicar of St. John's, during the last seven years of 
slavery, married only one hundred and ten pairs of negroes. 
In the single year of freedom, 1839, the number of pairs mar- 
ried by him, was 185. 



ANTIGUA. 49 

With respect to crime — it has been rapidly diminishing 
during the last few years. The numbers committed to the 
house of correction in 1837, — chiefly for petty oflciicos, for- 
merly punished on the estates— were 850 ; in 1838 only 244 ; 
in 1839, 31 1. The number left in the prison at the close of 
1837 was 147; at the close of 1839, only 35. 

Nor can it be doubted that the personal comforts of the 
laborers have been, in the mean time, vastly increased. The 
duties on imports in 1833, (the last year of slavery) were 
£13,576; in 1839, they were £24,(i50. This augnmenta- 
tion has been occasioned by the importation of dry goods and 
other articles, for which a demand, entirely new, has arisen 
among the laboring population. The quantity of bread and 
meat, used as food by the laborers is surprisingly increased. 
Their wedding-cakes and dinners are extravagant, even to the 
point, at times, of drinking champagne ! 

In connection with every congregation in the island, whether 
of the Church of England, or among the Dissenters, has been 
formed a friendly society. The laborers subscribe their 
weekly pittances to these institutions, and draw out comfort- 
able supplies, in case of sickness, old age, burials, and other 
exigencies. Thus is the negro gradually trained to the habits 
of prudence and foresight. 

Having taken leave of the Lieut. Governor of §t. Christo- 
pher's, wlio borrowed our brigantine in order to return, in it, to 
his prosperous little kingdom, we availed ourselves of the abun- 
dant hospitality of our friends at Gilberts and Dow's Hill for 
several days. In the course of the time, we again held meet- 
ings for worship at each place, called at the Moravian establish- 
ment at Grace Hill, and examined the school kept under the 
care of the mission ; attended a meeting of the Bible Society, 
which is working well in this island, and is generously support- 
ed by the laborers themselves ; and spent one morning, in com- 
pany with the Governor, in visiting the free settlements, near 
his residence, Augusta and Liberia. 

A female proprietor who had become embarrassed, was ad- 

5 



\ 



50 ANTIGUA. 

vised to sell off part of her property, in small lots. The ex- 
periment answered her warmest expectations. The laborers 
in the neighborhood, bought up all the little freeholds with 
extreme eagerness, made their payments faithfully, and lost 
no time in settling on the spots which they had purchased. 
They soon framed their houses, and brought their gardens 
into useful cultivation with yams, bananas, plantains, pine- 
apples, and other fruits and vegetables, including plots of 
sugar cane. In this way Augusta and Liberta sprang up as if 
by magic. I visited several of the cottages, in company with 
the Rector of the parish, and was surprised by the excellence 
of the buildings, as well as by the neat furniture, and cleanly 
little articles of daily use, which we found within. It was a 
scene of contentment and happiness ; and I may certainly add, 
of industry ; for these little freeholders occupied only their 
leisure hours, in working on their own grounds. They were 
also earning wages as laborers on the neighboring estates, or 
working at English Harbor, as mechanics. 

During our rides and drives about Antigua, we sometimes 
observed specimens, lying on the road, of those remarkable 
petrifactions for which the island is celebrated. They are 
either of woods found in the trap formation, or of madrepores, 
mostly discovered in the marl. The woods thus fossilized, 
are of various kinds, generally those which still grow on the 
island, perfectly stone, and often filled up with beautiful spe- 
chnens of jasper and agate. These petrifactions admit of the 
finest polish ; and, when polished, are of singular beauty. 

On our return to St. John's, towards the close of the week, 
the vicar conveyed me to some of the infant schools which he 
had founded in the country : the order and success of these 
institutions was gratifying. In one of them, I was introduced 
to an aged black woman, who was in the habit of attending the 
school as an amateur. She could not read herself, but had 
contrived to obtain a perfect knowledge of the fifty-third chap- 
ter of Isaiah, descriptive of our Saviour's vicarious sufferings. 
She repeated this chapter to me with entire accuracy, and with 



ANTIGUA. 51 

a nicety of emphasis, which plainly proved how well she under- 
stood, and how stroni(ly she i'clt, its meaning. In the course of 
our excursion wc called at the Cedar Valley estate, wliich we 
found in high order and prosperity. The manager, James Bell, 
made an excellent report of it. — " It is less troulile," said he, 
" to conduct the whole concern now, than it was to manage the 
hospital alone, before emancipation." Afterwards we visited a 
small hospital, under the vicar's care, for male and female 
lepers. The dry leprosy which gradually eats up the ex- 
tremities of the body, and often the features of the face, is a 
complaint to which the black people, in the West Indies, are 
very liable — nor is it confined to them. The complaint is 
said to be incurable. In this hospital, its unhappy victims 
were well provided for, and under religious care. They 
seemed veiy much at their ease ; and cordially accepted a few 
sentences of exhortation and sympathy. In the evening our 
friend Holbertson's negro flock assembled in a large school- 
room, and displayed much devout attention, during a meeting 
for worship, held by us on the occasion. 

The next morning a friend of ours, a merchant in the town, 
conveyed me to the estate of a large resident planter and mem- 
ber of the council, who received me at his house with the great- 
est politeness. The manager, a respectable elderly Methodist, 
drove me about the cane-fields in a country cart, and seemed to 
take no small pleasure in pointing out the luxuriant crops of 
sugar cane, at once so vigorous, and so clean. He declared, 
that the crops of Antigua had never been taken off more easily> 
than during each successive year, since the date of freedom. 
This gentleman's estates had been largely peopled with slaves, 
and in consequence oppressed by mortgages. Now he works 
them with less than one-third of the number, and at a vastly ■■ 

diminished expense. " The whole expense of conducting and ^^fir 
working the estate at present," said the manager, " is less than 
that of the mere feeding of the slaves." Best of all, the mort- 
gages on the property are mostly paid off; and our friend, once 
half a slave himself, is emerging into comfort, ease, and liberty. 



52 ANTIGUA. 

We overtook a wedding party. Both bride and bridegroom 
were cormnon laborers on the estate. The bridegroom was at- 
tired in a bhie coat, handsome waistcoat, with a brooch, white 
pantaloons, and Wellington boots — the bride, in a vast pink silk 
bonnet, lace cap, and white muslin gown, with fashionable 
sleeves ! We afterwards called on Dr. Daniel, the respected 
President of the Council, and a large attorney. He freely 
assured us that the laborers, on the properties under his care, 
were working well, and at a much cheaper rate, than in the 
times of slavery. Here also, the result of the experiment was 
a saving of expense ; and of course therefore, an increase of 
profit, and a rise in the value of property. 

Another week had now elapsed, and on the First-day even- 
ing, notwithstanding indisposition, a third meeting was held in 
the Methodist chapel. It was promiscuously attended, as was 
supposed, by two thousand five hundred people. The ap- 
pearance of the congregation, and the deep interest they evinced 
on the occasion, reminded us of the prophecies in the book of 
Isaiah, respecting the great moral change to be effected by the 
gospel of Christ, in a world of vice and sorrow. " The wilder- 
ness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert 
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 

I was now laid by, under the care of a physician, for two days ; 
but on the next morning (First month, 27th,) was allowed to 
unite with my friends, in visiting the jail and house of correc- 
tion, which we found in a state of cleanliness and order. There 
was little to complain of, but the stowage of lunatics in the 
jail — a practice not unusual, in the British West Indian Colo- 
nies. I have since heard from the Governor General, that a 
separate place is now allotted to them ; he also informs me, 
that the tread-wheel, which we were happy to find disused, is 
on the point of being finally demolished. The Chief Judge, 
Nanton, who accompanied us to the prisons, and attended the 
meetings which we held with their afiiicted inmates, fully con- 
firmed the statements which we had previously received of the 



ANTIGUA. 53 

diminution of crime. - He also gave a cheering account of the 
behavior and industry of the negroes on his own property. 

Wc were now placed in possession of clear documentary evi- 
dence, respecting (he staple produce of the Island. The average 
exports of the last five years of slavery, (1829 to 1833 inchi- 
sive,) were, sugar 12,189 hogsheads ; molasses 3,308 pun- 
cheons ; and rum 2,408 puncheons. Those of the first five 
years of freedom, (1834 to 1838 inclusive,) were, sugar 13,545 
hogsheads; molasses 8,308 puncheons; and rum 1,109 pun- 
cheons ; showing an excess of 1,356 hogsheads of sugar, and 
of 5000 puncheons of molasses ; and a diminution of 1,359 
puncheons of rum. This comparison is surely a triumphant 
one ; not only does it demonstrate the advantage derived from 
free labor during a course of five years, but affords a proof that 
many of the planters of Antigua have ceased to convert their 
molasses into rum. It ought to be obseiwed that these five 
years of freedom, included two of drought, one, very calam- 
itous. The statement for 1839, forms an admirable climax to 
this account. It is as follows : sngar 22,383 hogsheads ; (10,000 
beyond the last average of slaveiy,) 13,433 puncheons of mo- 
lasses (also 10,000 beyond that average,) and only 582 pun- 
cheons of iiim ! That, in the sixth year of freedom, after the 
fair trial of five years, the exports of sugar from Antigua, 
almost doubled the average of the last five years cf slavery, is 
a fact which precludes the necessity of all other evidence. By 
what hands was this vast crop raised and realised ? By the 
hands of that lazy and impracticable race (as they have often 
been described,) the negroes. And under what stimulus has 
the work been eflfected ? Solely under that of moderate wages. 
The Governor made a parting visit to us at our hotel in the 
evening, and seemed to derive pleasure from freely imparting to 
us his just and admirable views of colonial policy. They are 
founded on the immutable basis of Christian principle. Our 
brigantine had now returned from St. Christopher's, and early 
on the 28th, we sailed for Dominica. 

I cannot with honesty, quit my narrative of Antio-ua, without 

5* 



54 ANTIGUA. 

acknowledging that, amidst the profusion of evidence poured in 
upon us, in tha tisland, of the favorable working of freedom, we 
met with one opposing testimony. It was that of a wealthy old 
gentleman whom I met one day in the streets, and of whom, every 
one who visits Antigua, is pretty sure to hear. No sooner were 
we introduced to him, than he began to pour forth his complaints 
of the misconduct of the laborers, impending ruin, (fcc, &.c. It 
so happens, however, that not an acre of ground is offered for 
sale, within his reach, which he does not purchase with the ut- 
most avidity ; so that his landed property, already large, is con- 
stantly on the increase. His words were sad enough, but 
every one acknowledged, that ample was the refutation of them, 
furnished by his deeds. Confident we are, that our elderly 
friend is far too much alive to his own interest, to form any ex- 
ception to the following declaration of the Governor and N. 
Gilbert. On our asking them, whether there was any person on 
the island who wished for the restoration of slavery, they an- 
swered, without a moment's hesitation. " No — not one." 

I am, &c. &c. 



LETTER VI. 



DOMINICA. 



Flushing, L. J. Sixth-month {June) 5th, 1840. 

Mr DEAR FRI£MD> 

Our voyage from Antigua to Dominica, was one of thirty-six 
hours. We passed under the lee of Guadaloupe just before 
night closed upon us. The appearance of that island on the 
west side, of which alone we had a view, is mountainous Mid 
barren — not without much of picturesque beauty. We were 
informed however tliat on the other side, it is highly cultivated, 
which is also the case with that still more beautiful island, 
Martinique. It is an evidence that slavery in these French 
colonies, is not witliout its hardships, that several hundreds of 
the slaves, since the British act of emancipation, have made 
their escape to Dominica — chiefly I believe from Guadaloupe. 

The poor creatures run prodigious risks in their attempts to 
cross the water, in small open boats ; and we were informed 
that at least one third of them perish before they can reach the 
land. One hardy fellow arrived on the shore of Dominica, 
after extreme peril, on the remains of a small raft which he had 
constructed of the pithy stems of the great aloe, or century 
plant. When at Dominica, we heard excellent accounts of 
the behavior and industry of these runaway slaves. About 
two hundred of them remain on the island — the rest have mi- 
grated, in pursuit of higher wages, to Trinidad. Devoutly is 
it to be desired that the steps already taken by the French 
Government towards the emancipation of the slaves, in these 
colonies, may be carried forward to their completion without 
delay. It is a circumstance worthy of observation, that the 
corrmaission appointed to enquire into the subject, after the most 



56 DOMINICA. 

deliberate investigation, have brought in a report recommend- 
ing — not any gradual dilatory f)rocess — but the immediate abo- 
lition of slavery. 

The attention of the French Commissioners was closely 
given (I believe by personal visits) to the result of the experi- 
ment of abolition in the neighboring British colonies ; and it 
can be no matter of surprise that the excellent working of free- 
dom in Antigua, where the change was made without any in- 
tervening apprenticeship, should have brought them to this 
conclusion. Nevertheless the strongest argument for the 
course recommended by them, inight be drawn from the com- 
parison of Antigua and Dominica. 

Never were two colonies more contrasted in their circum- 
stances than these. Antigua is a dry island, watered only from 
the skies, and cultivated nearly to the extent of its capacities, 
the remaining wild land being of little value. Dominica is 
watered by a vast number of little streams which How (as we 
Avere told) from a fathomless lake embosomed in the mountains, 
at a high level above the sea. It is in consequence, a moist 
island, and of luxuriant fertility ; and nine tenths of the soil, 
productive as it is by nature, are wholly unoccupied — in a state 
of absolute wildness. Antigua again, long before the date of 
emancipation, was the scene of much Christian lal^or, and edu- 
cation had been spread extensively among the slaves. On the 
contrary, in Dominica, the people who speak a barbarous 
French patois, and are under the sway of the Roman Catholic 
religion, were, until lately, almost entirely destitute of schools, 
or any other means of instruction — an ignorant and uncultiva- 
ted race. And yet— wonderful to say — the experiment of 
emancipation, is working just as well, in Dominica, as it is in 
Antigua. The negroes of Dominica, neither squat on the wild 
land, nor shew any wildness themselves ; the trifling unsettle- 
ment which took place at the date of full freedom, soon subsi- 
ded ; and they are working, in a quiet inoffensive manner, on 
the estates of their former masters. "Their conduct," says one 
of the Stipendiaries (in his last report to the Governor General, 



DOMINICA. 57 

dated"" January 1," 1840) " is orderly, (|uict, and peaccal)Ie." A 
second says, " They continue to conduct themselves with every 
propriety;" a third ol)servcs that "their general conduct is or- 
derly and industrious." Tiio solution of the ])robleni, is easy. 
Educated, or luieducated, tlic negro loves his homo, humble 
though it be, and has no wish to exchange it for a wild life 
upon the mountains. With equal sincerity he loves the silver 
^'mochos^^ which are placed in his hands as the reward of his 
labor, and it is natural to him to woi'k, in order to obtain them. 

On the following morning we obtained a distant view of 
Dominica, but did not succeed in reaching Roseau, until night- 
fall. Columbus discovered this island on the first day of the 
week — thence its name, Dominica ; and when queen Isabella 
asked for a description of it, he crumpled a sheet of paper in 
his hands, in order to give her some notion of the jagged and 
compressed appearance of its conical mountains. One cannot 
approach this romantic spot of earth, without feeling a kind of 
fascination. A late writer describes it as a land of " mists and 
torrents and rainbows," and such it truly is. The mountains 
peaked and picturesque as they are, and some of them veiy 
lofty — the highest five thousand six hundred feet above the 
level of the sea — are mantled to their very tops, Avith luxuriant 
vegetation ; and through the deep ravines, and luxuriant dells 
which divide them, many a sudden gust of wind assails the 
mariner, and many a mountain stream finds its way into the 
ocean. 

As it was quite dark before we cast anchor, we concluded not 
to attempt a landing until morning ; but after I had retired to 
my berth, I was told that two colored gentlemen, Louis Bellot. 
a planter, and Charles Fillan, clerk to the house of representa- 
tives, had come on board to offer us a hearty welcome, and 
tender their help and hospitality. We declined their kindness 
for the night ; but the next morning they rejoined our company, 
and conducted us to the clean and comfortable abode of Maria 
Dalrymple, a colored Methodist matron, whom, not without 
good cause, they and many others in the place, are accustomed 



58 DOMINICA. 

to call their " mother." There we were received with abundant 
cordiahty, and were provided with good accommodation, both of 
bed and board, during our stay on the island. After partaking 
of a hearty breakfast, and making a few needful arrangements, 
we proceeded to the Government House, and paid our respects 
to Major McPhail, the Lieut. Governor. He and his lady had 
given a kind reception to some missionaiy members of our soci- 
ety, when he was governor of Santa Maura, one of the 
Ionian islands ; and veiy kind and cordial were they to our- 
selves. We frequently partook of their hospitality, and were 
glad to meet at their table, white and colored persons without 
distinction. The major is a man of great integrity, and liberal 
views. He was imprisoned two months, on one occasion, in 
Portugal, for refusing to kneel before the host. When in 
Greece, he was an able and successful promoter of education ; 
and in Dominica, he has proved himself, through no small dif- 
ficulties, to be the undaunted protector of the rights of the 
negro. 

I wish I had the opportunity of introducing to thee, our friends 
Fillan and Bellot. The former is a young man with the wool 
of Africa on his head, but full of bodily and mental energy, 
ardent in the cause of religion and humanity, but naturally 
prone to merriment. He is a plant of no stunted gro^vth, which 
would bear a little pruning ; and reminded me of Q^uintilian's 
saying, in his v/ork on education, " Des quod amputem — give 
me something to cut offP I draw this portrait, at the risk of 
annoying him, for the sake of the race with which he is con- 
nected. Bellot is an intelligent, well-educated person, a mem- 
ber of the legislature, and much respected in the colony. On 
our return from the Governor's, we found they had provided 
horses, and were ready to accompany us, on our excursion into 
the country. The day was hot, but the temptation of the sceneiy 
was irresistible. We first ascended Mont Bruce, a militaiy 
station, from which there is an enchanting view of the Roseau 
valley, which winds along between mtmy shaped rocks and 
mountains, itself luxuriantly green ; with the little river of that 



noMiNicA. 59 

name runniiig, or rather rusliing, through tlic midsi of ii. As 
we rode up njid dowu die liill, we observed on its l)row, many 
garden grounds of free settlers, filled with orange trees, plan- 
tains, and other fruits and vegetables. We then took our course 
along the valley itself, for a few miles, until we arrived at one 
of Bellot's estates, where we found his people busily engaged in 
making sugar. He has had the good sense to le;ise out por- 
tions of his hind to independent settlers, many of whom are at 
work upon his estate. His sugar works are in the valley, and 
after leaving them, we pursued a winding road up a high hill, 
which led us to his house at Copthall. When there, I observed 
a curious little building on the premises — of new stone well 
cemented — out of which the pigs were emerging one after 
another. On examination I found it was the " bilboes" or 
"cachot;" an abominable place, without light or air, or as 
nearly so as possible, in which the wretched negroes had for- 
merly been punished with solitaiy confinement. Durino- 
slavery, and the apprenticeship, Copthall had been in other 
hands, and was rapidly falling into decay ; — almost the only 
tight place on the property, being this veiy bilboes. Now, 
under freedom, and the care of Bellot, the estate was rapidly 
improving, the produce of it had increased £200 percent, and the 
Bilboes were turned mto a pig sty ! Who can deny that here was 
a delightful proof of the advantage and efficiency of freedom ? 
After partaking of needful refreshment, we followed the 
mountain road, to a higher elevation, and visited another estate, 
also in the hands of a colored planter, where we again found the 
laborers, working well. Several of the people gathered around 
us, and a woman who could speak English, came fonvard on 
behalf of the company, to beg for a school. " We are hungry 
for a school," said she, " we are tired of waiting for it." Nor 
were these idle words ; for the people on this and a neighborino- 
property, had agreed to subscribe eight dollars per month in 
part payment of a teacher. Nothing mdeed can be more eager, 
than the desire of the negroes of Dominica for education — 
they seem determined to obtain it ; and it is gratifying to know 



60 DOMINICA. 

that the efforts now making, for the purpose, are at once consid- 
erable and successful. There are nearly 700 scholars in the 
four Mico schools, which are ably conducted, and being quite 
clear of sectarianism, are not opposed by the Roman Catholic 
priests, Geo. Clark, the laborious and exemplary minister of 
the parish church at Roseau, has four schools under his care. 
The Methodists have five mission establishments, 1017 mem- 
bers of their church, and eleven schools besides two held only 
on the First-day of the week. Thus the cause of Christian 
instruction is now making rapid progress, and will, I hope, ere 
veiy long, pervade this island, as it does Antigua. 

The quantity of provisions raised in Dominica, is stated, in 
a late official report, to have increased 50 per cent , in the 
year 1839. The soil makes generous repayment for a little 
culture, and as we rode along, the fruitful provision grounds, 
either of the independent settlers, or of free laborers on the es- 
tates, met our eye in every direction. The oranges, and other 
kindred fruits, are peculiarly fine, and we shall not soon forget 
the refreshment of some ripe and juicy " forbidden fruit," which 
a negro shook from his tree, and kindly bestowed upon us, in 
the course of our mountain ride. 

On our return home, we overtook a peasant with an agouti 
in his hands. It is a small, hairy animal, which seems to unite 
the natures of the pig and the rabbit. We bought it, and our 
"methodist mother" afterwards cooked it for our breakfast. 
The zoology of Dominica is quite interesting. The wild boar 
is found in the woods ; a species of boa constrictor is also met 
with, and not unfrequently pays a fatal visit to the poultry- 
yard. Parroqueets are numerous, and several kinds of hum- 
ming birds, abound. Immense numbers of land-crabs, at certain 
seasons, afford excellent food for all who take the trouble of 
catching them. The same may be said of the crapeaus, very 
large frogs, which frequent the pure, running waters, and are, 
as we can testify, an excellent article of diet — the meat tasting 
like that of a chicken. But it is the vegetable luxuriance of 
this island, which is the most striking to the eye of a stran- 



DOMINICA. 



61 



ger, — far exceeding any thing that we have elsewhere witnessed, 
except perhaps, in sonic parts of Jamaica, Innumcrablo shrubsj 
plants and trees, novel to ns, with broad-leaved creepers of va- 
rious kinds, cover the hills with a remarkable depth of verdure. 
The most beautiful of these productions is the tree-fern, which 
grows to the height of 20 or even 30 feet, and waves its bright 
green feathers over the whole sceneiy of the island. 

After riding many hours, we were fairly overtaken by the 
night-fall, and were glad to return in safety to our comfortable 
<iuarters. We afterwards spent an agreeable evening at the 
Governor's. On the next day, the first of the week, we held our 
meetings in the Methodist meeting-house morning and evening. 
In the evening, the Governor and his lady, and most of the 
gentry of the place, attended, with a large number of others, of 
various shades of color. As the colony is much distracted by 
parties, it was, we hope, for a good purpose, that we endeavored 
to hold up the standard of Christian charity and unity — 
" There shall be one fold and one shepherd." 

Our friend Joseph Phillips, a stipendiaiy magistrate, had 
Idndly come from a distant part of the island to visit us, and 
furnished us with a variety of important and encouraging in- 
formation. He gave us an unqualified good account of the 
conduct of the free-laborers. They are remarkably honest, and 
bags of small coin, intended for the payment of wages, are con- 
veyed about the countiy, without risk. In the early part of the 
apprenticeship, the number of punishments per month, in his 
district was 70. They are now reduced to an average of only 
two. One invalid constable is sufiicient to keep his whole dis- 
trict in order. In a late report addressed to Sir William Cole- 
brooke, he observes, " The amount of crime in this colony of 
20,000 souls, is perhaps less than in any other part of her Ma- 
jesty's Dominions." We received similar reports from other 
magistrates, especially a colored gentleman — William Lynch, 
an active and intelligent stipendiary'-, whose firm support of the 
rights of the laborers, has done him high credit. 

Accompanied by this magistrate, and Fillan and Bellotf as 

6 



62 DOMINICA. 

before, we devoted the following day to an excursion to the 
souffriere, on the northern coast. A ride of many miles^ 
through another hixuriant valley, brought us to Geneva, the 
extensive sugar estate of "William B. Lockhart. The views 
there are delightful, embracing the beautiful island of Marti- 
nique in the distance. I visited the sugar works, and am not 
aware that I have ever seen a more healthy looking, or apparently 
industrious, company of laborers, than were there assembled. 
Their employer assured me that his people were working well, 
and that he was deriving decided pecuniary advantage, from 
the substitution of free-labor for the dead weight of slavery. 
In ascending the lofty hill which separates Geneva from the 
soufFriere, we passed by several estates. — The report of " Coole- 
rie," was that " the negroes were working delightfully :" at 
" Berraquoir," the manager informed us that " they were work- 
ing cheerfully, and cheaply to their employer as compared with 
slavery." A third property had been dismantled under slavery, 
and was now again in process of sugar cultivation. Thus from 
step to step, our evidence, in favor of the present system, accu- 
mulated. When we arrived at the top of the hill, the scenery 
presented to our view was of uncommon sublimity and beauty. 
On one side lay Grand Bay, a noble inlet of the sea, with the 
rocky and hilly coast nearly surrounding it ; on the other, the 
valley of the soufFriere, well covered with sugar-cane, winding 
its way to the sea, between lofty mountains. One of these 
mountains is supposed to consist almost entirely of sulphur, 
and the brow of it forms the souffriere ; from which sprmgs a 
small stream of boiling water, and flows down, through the val- 
ley, to the sea. As we descended the hill by a zig-zag route, we 
came into the immediate neighborhood of this mass of sulphur 
which fills the surrounding atmosphere with a strong odor. It 
is of a pure quality, rather white than yellow, and is now ex- 
ported in considerable quantities. The traces of volcanic oper- 
ation, throughout this island, are very conspicuous ; not only 
in the fantastic shapes of the hills, caused (it may be presumed) 
by Some vast irregular force from below ; but in the coloring of 
many of the rocks, which plainly betrays the action of fire. 



DOMINICA. 63 

One of the lofty conical liilis which rises from this valley, to 
the east, appeared to be cultivated to its summit with coflTee ; at 
any rate, the hcdo;cs by which the coffee plants used to be ])r<)tect- 
ed, were scon intorsccting the hill in every direction, and (brmed 
a pleasing feature in the scenery before us. It is a remarkable 
circumstance tliat since the date of a hurricane, which rav.'igod 
this island, a few years ago, the coffee plants have generally 
withered, from the resistless attack of a small white fly. In 
consequence of this bliglit, the exports of coflfee have been 
greatly reduced, and several of the coffee-estates are now com- 
ing under sugar-cultivation. They are generally in the hands 
of small French planters, whose slaves formed part of their 
families before emancipation, and are now working the prop- 
erties for their former owners, on shares. The present crop is 
said to be an improved one ; and hopes are entertained that the 
miserable effects of the blight will be gradually surmounted. 

At the little village of Souffriere, by the sea side, a Mico 
school, under the care of a pious and able teacher, is in useful 
operation. Boats were in readiness for us on the shore, and we 
were rapidly conveyed, by star-light, along a rocky and pictur- 
esque coast, back again to Roseau. 

There we continued for three days longer, visited the prison 
and the schools, held two more religious meetings, and received 
kind calls from several of the principal residents. I am not 
aware that the favorable reports which we obtained, from them, 
of the orderly and industrious behavior of the peasantiy, was 
interrupted by a single exception. Among the most interesting 
of those visits, was that of our friend Dugald Stuart Laidlaw, 
an elderly planter of great influence in the island, much respect- 
ed as a liberal patron of education, but one whose habits had 
long been associated with the old system. He is a large 
proprietor, and still larger attorney, and has no less than 
twenty-two estates under his care. The valuable information 
with which he favored us — entirely of his own accord— was to 
the following effect — " that although his present crops were 
somewhat diminished in consequence of the slight degree of 



64 DOMINICA. 

unsettlement, which took place after the commencement of full 
freedom, (at the time of planting) he had now no complaint to 
make — that the laborers were working well on their old 
locations — that not a single instance of squatting had occurred 
— that he was conducting his estates on the plan of job-work, 
which was agreeable and profitable to both parties — that where- 
as he had formerly borne the burden of more than two thousand 
one hundred slaves or apprentices, he now employed only six 
hundred free laborers — ^that he expected to save money by the 
change — and lastly, that he was taking measures for enlarging 
the extent of his sugar cultivation." 

I afterwards met with an agreeable confirmation of this 
last item in the account. In company with the Governor, 
and our friend Bellot, I rode out one afternoon, to see 
a celebrated prospect from a hill, bordering on the valley 
of the Roseau, called Watten Waven. When we arrived 
at the spot, I found it was one of the estates under the 
care of this gentleman. Before us was an amphitheatre of 
mountains, of romantic shapes and covered with foliage, and 
at their feet, an uncultivated glen of extreme luxuriance. The 
scene was lovely beyond description ; but its beauty, if not to 
be materially injured, was at least about to change its charac- 
ter, for our friend Laidlaw had already laid his plans for con" 
verting this wild, fertile glen, into a sugar plantation. 

The export of sugar from Dominica was, in 1837, (the last 
year of apprenticeship) 2,221 hogsheads ; in 1838, 2,900 hogs- 
heads ; in 1839, 2,474 hogsheads ; a gradual but decided in- 
crease is now expected. 

Cheering, indeed, is the fact that, in the meantime, both the 
morals and comforts of the laboring population are rapidly im- 
proving ; take for an evidence, the decrease of crime, and the 
increase of imports. In 1833, (the last year before the act of 
emancipation) the commitments to the jail, Avere 160 ; in 1839, 
the first entire year of freedom, only 88 ; difference in favor of 
freedom, 72. 

The average imports of the last five years of slavery, were 



DOMINICA. 05 

of the value of £04,000. In 1839, tlioy animiiitcd lo £120,000 ; 
although certain vessels which had heen ex])ccl(!d, ii.uJ not yet 
arrived, when tlie accounts were made up — difrercnc(^ in favor 
of freedom, £50,000 ; a sum which mainly represents an in- 
crease of comforts enjoyed by the emancipated negroes. 

Two other circumstances, in the present state of Dominica, 
deserve a somewhat emphatic notice. The first is, that field 
labor, being no longer the work of slaves, is no longer held to 
be disgraceful. The black people who were free, before the 
date of emancipation, used to consider it below their dignity, to 
work on the estates. Now it is quite othenvise. We had the 
pleasure of finding them busily engaged, with their lately 
emancipated brethren, in cutting the cane and boiling the sugar. 
The second circumstance alluded to, is of a political nature. A 
majority of the loiver house, in the Legislature, is composed 
of colored persons — duly chosen, of course, by the freeholders 
of the island. It may naturally be asked, whether a body of 
persons, so constituted, show any tendency to disquietude or 
disaffection. To such an inquiry the answer is most satisfac- 
tory ; they are remarkable for their loyalty — the zealous friends 
and supporters of the British Government ! 

On the 7th of the Second-month, we took our leave of our 
warm-hearted friends. Maria Dalrymple, who had lodged and 
boarded us, so greatly to our comfort, refused to receive a penny 
of repayment ; but we at length persuaded her to take the 
doubloons which were her due, with our permission that she 
should apply them to charity. Our colored brethren accom- 
panied us to the vessel. We parted from them, under the 
feeling of Christian love and friendship ; and as the lateness of 
the season precluded a farther windward voyage (consistently 
with our other objects) we set sail for St. Thomas. 

The wind which, as a matter of course, we hoped to en- 
joy in our favor, now " hauled" to the westward, and blew 
strongly ahead. Such ai'e the trials of patience to which one 
is often exposed, at sea. As we slowly receded from Dominica, 

6* 



66 DOMINICA. 

we amused ourselves \-fith the following memorandum ot its 
history and its charms. 

1. 'Twas on the Christian's day of rest, 
While men on shore their faith confessed, 

In many a song of praise ; 
The gallant knight of the western star, 
Descried thy headlands from afar, 

And traced thy shadowy bays. 

2. Clouds and mists were over thee flung, 
And the rainbow on thy rocks was hung. 
And howled the wind thy vales among, 

And the mountain torrents roared ; 
But soon thou wast mantled o'er with smiles. 
When the sunbeam broke thro' thy deep defiles, 
And o'er the loveliest of the isles, 

Beauty and grace were poured. 

3. The crumpled sheet in the veteran's hand. 
Figured thy jagged and pyramid land, 

But all thy rocks were green ; 
The tree-fern waved upon thy brow, 
And the plaintain leaf was broad below. 

Where the rivulet gushed unseen, 

4. The parent of three hundred rills, 
Asleep amidst thy ravined hills, 

A fathomless lake was found ; 
And high around thy mountains rose, 
But never wore they the wreath of snows, 

For they were forest crowned. 

5. The monkeys, voluble in chat. 
Within thy bowers in council sat, 

And roved the bristled boar ; 
Coiled the vast snake without a sting, 
Blazed many a bird unskilled to sing. 
And the sprite that hums on the lustred wing. 

Glanced o'er thy flowery shore. 

6. Far from the haunts of civil men, 
O'er brake and thicket, glade and glen, 
The dark-haired Indian wandered then, 

Untutor'd and untamed. 



DOMINICA. 67 

A hardy, yet a harmless race, 
That never saw the white man's face. 
Or heard tlic Spaniard named. 

7. Tlic serpent to their bosom pressed, 
Poisoned their blood and broke their rest. 

Then circling-, stole their soil ; 
Their native freedom sank in chains, 
Barter'd for beads their fruitful plains, 
Their loss was liberty — their gains 

Were slavery, stripes, and toil. 

8. As melts beneath the scorching sun. 
When winter's sturdy course is run, 

April's untimely snow ; 
So melted from their father land, 
The hapless, persecuted band. 

Before the lash of woe. 

9. A few that bear the Caribb's name,. 
Now idly weave the wicker framej 

Or beg a scanty meal ; 
Their native fires for ever gone. 
They wander listless and alone — 

Their woes forget to feel. 

10. Not so, the sorrow-stricken race. 
Soon kidnapped to supply their place, 

From home and kindred torn ; 
In pestilential cabins pressed, 
Robbed of their wages, scourged, distressed,. 

Degraded, weak, forlorn. 

11.. Then hail, the holy, happy day, 

When all their chains were cast away, 
And freedom spread her genial sway, 

O'er the islands of the west — 
Thy verdant hills shall flow with peace, 
Thy vales, with plenty shall increase, 
Thy notes of discord all shall cease, 

Fair Dominique the blest. 

Our voyage continued four days. Having lost all sight of 
land, and being without any means of calculating longitude, 



68 DOMINICA. 

we were, at length, very much at a loss to conjecture our true 
position. According to the Captain's reckoning, we were yet 
far away to the east ; but our own calculations brought us on 
a line mth Santa Cruz. This opinion proved to be correct. 
On the break of day, one morning, we found ourselves ap- 
proaching that island. Although bound for St. Thomas, we 
now thought it advisable to change our course, and soon found 
ourselves safe at West-End, in the midst of the cordial wel- 
comes and congratulations of our friends. We were a good 
deal wearied by long- continued excitement and exertion, and 
found in their society, for a few days, just that refreshment, 
both of body and mind, which was suited to our need. One 
change, which had taken place during the seven weeks of our 
absence, was remarkable. When we were there before, the 
subject of slavery was almost unmentionable ; now we could 
scarcely find time to answer the inquiries made of us, respect- 
ing the working of emancipation in the islands to the wind- 
ward. Many of the planters openly professed their willingness 
to emancipate their slaves, if compensation were but granted. 
The question of compensation lies between the planters and the 
Danish Government ; and we sincerely hope that the latter will 
exercise all due liberality on the occasion. Nevertheless, it is 
clear, that, in pure justice, this question can never bar the infi- 
nitely higher claim of a third party — that is, the negro — to a 
property in his own. person. 

I am &c. &.C. 



LETTER VII. 



JAMAICA. 



Flushing, L. 1. Sixth-month {June) 8th, 1840, 

Mr DEAB Friend, 

Our second visit to Santa Cmz afforded us an opportunity of 
uniting with twenty or more of the boarders there — individuals 
with whom we had foraied a highly agreeable acquaintance — 
in chartering the ship Whitmore, Capt. R. Watlington. It 
was agreed that the rest of the company should leave Santa 
Cruz, in the course of the Third-month, (March) and after a 
cruise among some other islands, call for us at Jamaica, and con- 
vey us, by Havana, to the United States. For ourselves, we set 
sail, on the 18th of the Second-month (February) in our little 
brigantine, intending to land at Jaquemel, a port on the south 
of Hayti, on our way to Jamaica. Our kind friends, the 
planters of Santa Cruz, loaded us with presents of oranges, 
shaddocks, syrup, new sugar, &c., for our use during the voy, 
age, and heartfelt was our mutual expression of good wishes, 
on our departure from the island. We now had the delightful 
trade wind directly in our favor. Our course lay along the 
southern shore of Porto Rico, which extends ninety miles in 
length. This coast presented to the eye no peculiar aspect of 
interest or beauty. The mountains to the south of the island 
are low, and we hardly perceived a speck of cultivation. That 
much of the interior is well cultivated and of great luxuriance, 
we are well aware, and melancholy in the extreme, is the fact 
that the negro population of the island is constantly increasing 
by fresh importations. We afterwards learned from our friends 
in the Whitmore, who called on their way to Jamaica, at the 
port of St. John's, that the slaver " Hound," under American 



70 JAMAICA. 

colors, landed nearly four hundred negroes in its vicinity, the 
day before their arrival. Some of the company visited them, 
and found them in a miserably emaciated condition. 

We left the south western extremity of Porto Rico at night- 
fall one evening, and at daybreak were in sight of the low 
island of Mona. The next morning we found ourselves within 
a mile or two of the coast of Hayti ; and were surprised to 
discover how much we had over-run our calculation of longi- 
tude, when in the course of the day, we saw the dome-like rock 
of Alto Yelo, a small island at its southernmost point, rising 
before our view. Here it was that Columbus and his sailors 
amused themselves in days of old, with Idlling the " sea 
wolves." Our course was now directed to the north-west, pas* 
another remarkable rock, called Los Frayles. This rock is 
composed of a row of vertical pillars, which by a fertile im- 
agination, might easily be clothed with sack cloth, and depicted 
as " Friars." We were glad to pass by such dangerous 
" brethren" before sun-set, and were desirous, if possible, of 
making the port of Jaquemel, only sixty miles distant, the next 
morning. But our hopes were frustrated ; for when the morning 
came, we found ourselves becalmed near the coast, in front of 
a high cliff, with white hummocks, but at what longitude, we 
had no means of ascertaining. Here we amused ourselves with 
observing the motions of the Portuguese men-of-war — small 
jelly fishes — which sometime go by this name, and sometimes by 
that of" nautilus." Their bodies are hollow and transparent, of a 
bright pink or purple, and their feelers, by which the animalculae 
are caught for their sustenance, are composed of many purple 
cords curiously woven and twined. These cords are poisonous, 
and often inflict a sting on those who are bold enough to handle 
the animal. In the evening (when it was dark) a favorable 
breeze sprung up, and as we passed by a mysterious hollow in the 
mountains, a strong tide appeared to rush in upon us from the 
land. Perceiving as I believed, some tokens that this was our 
port, (for I had been studying the Coast Pilot for the purpose,) 



JAMAICA. 71 

I requested the Captain t(i lay to for the iiit^hi, aiid the next 
morning the scene which lay ])efore us was magnificent. The 
mountains which rose to a great height, were enveloped in 
clouds ; but I thouglit I clearly perceived a harbor-like open- 
ing between them. The bearing of the land was right, accord- 
ing to the book ; and when, for a moment the clouds broke 
away, I distinctly saw that remarkable descent of one mountain 
upon another, in a perpendicular line, which I Imew to be a 
sign of the harbor of Jaquemel. But the Captain, the mate, 
and my fellow-passengers, were all of a contrary judgment, — so 
the word was given for turning the vessel round ; and we 
availed ourselves of a fine easterly breeze, in sweeping along to 
the westward. 

After a short time, it became evident to all on board that we 
had lost our port. We had intended to take mules at Jaquemel, 
ride over the mountains to Port au Prince, pay our respects to 
the President Boyer, and then return to our vessel ; but this 
somewhat boyish design was now disappointed, and nothing 
remained for us to do, but to pursue our course to Jamaica. 
We afterwards found that our matters were ordered much bet- 
ter for us, than we could have arranged them for ourselves ; for 
had we landed at Hayti, we should have had no time for the 
accomplishment of some important duties, to which we found 
ourselves called in Jamaica. 

A fine breeze was now wafting us along at a noble rate, the 
weather was bright, the sea of gorgeous blue, and the coast of 
Hayti, along which we were passing, was formed of a circular 
line of mountains, clad with forest, and often descending in 
precipitous white cliffs to the sea. A small island to the South 
of it, covered with verdure, called L'Isle des Vaches, seemed 
spread like a cai-pet upon the waves, and these were tossing 
about in every direction. A few hues of verse may sei've as a 
brief memorial of the " finest day of our voyage." 

Old Neptune was dressed in his brightest blue, where winter has no rigor. 
And the easterly breeze was sweeping along with most salubrious vigor ; 



72 JAMAICA. 

And the sea-nymphs now could sleep no more upon their coral beds, 
For the waves were tossed in a thousand forms, with the white foam on 

their heads. 
Beside us Hayti's Alps arose, in a crescent of true glory, 
The forest on their summits waved, and their front with age was hoary, 
Their snowy cliffs, in forms abrupt, were to the sea descending, 
To the beauty of its azure, the charms of contrast lending. 
L'Isle des Vaches, spread its level greens on the bosom of the ocean. 
And the clouds above, like the bark below, were all in rapid motion. 
The Nautilus pink was floating there, of armed ships the parent, 
And scudded away the flying fish, on silver wing transparent. 
The scene was of deepest solitude, but full of animation, 
And the pilgrims lost their grief and care, in joyous contemplation. 

Just as the sun was setting, we took leave of St. Domingo ^ 
at Point Gravois, and pursued a straight course, across the open 
sea, for Jamaica. In the course of the night, the Captain called 
us up to look at a lunar rainbow ; it was of a pale yellow, 
marked with great plainness, the arch perfect and of considera- 
ble extent. The next day we came within sight of Jamaica, and 
were delighted by the first glimpse of the blue mountains, some 
ridges of which are seen in the distance, towering over Morant 
Point, the easternmost extremity of the island. We lay to 
before the Point during the night, and the next morning, having 
taken in a pilot, pursued our course towards Kingston. We 
sailed beside the plains of St. Thomas in the East, which pre- 
sented to the eye every appearance of fertility and cultivation ; 
and we were pleased to observe, some large merchantmen in 
the small harbor of Port Morant, waiting, as we presumed, for 
the usual supplies of sugar. The blue mountains in the back 
ground, were now clearly in view— the highest peak more than 
8000 feet above the level of the sea. It was truly a feast of 
delightful scenery. Kingston harbor is formed by an inlet of 
the sea, between the main land and a long sand-bank called the 
Palisades. At the point of this sand bank stands the neat little 
town of Port Royal, the principal naval station in the West In- 
dies, and the grave, during slavery, of thousands of British 
soldiers and seamen. Now there was scarcely a man of wai' 



JAMAICA. 73 

to be seen on the station — an agreeable contrast to the large 
number of merchantmen which we found in port, at Kingston. 
A comparative view of the two places, afforded us an impres- 
sive evidence, that freedom is allied ])Oth to security and wealth. 
Do full justice to a population, and you Avill want no men of 
war to terrify them into obedience. Give fair scope to liberty, 
and sooner or later, commerce will flourish. 

By a boat which had supplied us with pink and silver 
fishes for breakfast, we had sent notice of our approach, 
to some kind friends at Kingston, and were cordially welcomed 
on our arrival, by John and Maria Candler, members of our 
own Society, from England, W. VV. Anderson, a lawyer of 
eminence, of the Episcopal church, much devoted to the cause 
of religion and humanity, and Charles Lake, a colored mem- 
ber of the Legislature. They conducted us to Grace Blun- 
dell's Hotel, in East-street, where we found a clean and airy 
dwelling, with even luxurious accommodation. Kingston is 
a large city, pretty well built, of at least 50.000 inhabitants, but 
unpaved, the streets hot and dusty. It would have been well 
had the sums of money lavished on the building of a large new 
theatre, been applied to the improvement of the streets ; but as 
the commerce of the city is brisk, and the real property in it, 
rapidly rising in value, it may be expected that this object will 
be effected in its turn. Here we met with the utmost civility 
from our kind friends, of the firm of Atkinson, Hosier &. Co., 
who presented us, on our arrival, with letters enough to occupy 
our attention for two or three days. We could now understand 
the full meanmg of King Solomon's saying, " As cold water to 
a thirsty soul, so is good news, from a far country." We 
landed at Kingston, after a voyage of eight days, on the 26tli of 
the Second month, (February.) 

John Candler and his wife, had arrived in Jamaica many- 
weeks before us, having come from England, on behalf of our 
Society there, for the pui-pose of applying a fund raised among 
the Friends, for the benefit of the negro population ; not without 
the further object in view, of promoting the welfare of all par- 



74 JAMAICA. 

ties in the colony, by setting an example of temperate concilia-^ 
tory conduct, and by extending such Christian counsel as they 
might be enabled to give. On two successive evenings, at their 
lodgings, we met circles of religious people of various denomi- 
nations, to whom was related our story of the islands to the 
windward ; and we endeavored, I trust, to provoke each other 
to " love and to good works," in the name of the Lord. On the 
29th, we commenced our " labor of love" — for such it was, 
however feeble — with visits to the House of Correction, and 
County Jail ; the former airy and tolerably commodious, its in- 
mates employed in breaking stones ; the latter utterly inade- 
quate for its purpose — the prisoners being stowed in small 
rooms, with little air. We held religious meetings in each 
of these prisons ; and I am sorry to add, that our audience in 
both cases, was numerous. The scum of the population, 
since the date of emancipation, has found its way into the 
city, and the consequence is an increase there, of petty crimes. 
But we were cheered by the information received through va- 
rious channels, and from the best authority, that taldng the 
island as a whole, crime is decidedly diminished since the 
abolition of slavery ; in many of the country districts, it has 
almost ceased. These meetings were attended by several of 
the magistrates, and it may be worth mentioning, that amongst 
them were two black aldermen, as respectable in their demeanor, 
and so far as we could judge, as fit for their office, as any of 
their colleagues. 

The 1st of the Third month, (March,) was the First of the 
week, and we were glad to observe that the day was remark- 
ably well observed at Kingston — ^just as it is in many of the 
cities of your highly favored Union. A wonderful scene we 
witnessed, that morning, in Samuel Oughton's Baptist Chapel, 
which we attended, without haviiig conmiunicated to the peo- 
ple any previous notice of our coming. The minister was so 
obliging as to make way for us on the occasion, and to invite 
us to hold our meeting with his flock, after the manner of 



JAMAICA. 76 

Friends. Such a floclc \vc had not before seen, consisting of 
nearly three thousand black people, chiefly emancii)ated slaves, 
attired after their favorite custom, in neat white raiment, and 
most respectable and orderly in their demeanor and appearance. 
They sat in silence with us, in an exemplary manner, and ap- 
peared both to understand, and appreciate, the doctrines of 
divine truth, preached on the occasion. The congregation 
is greatly hicreased, both in numbers and respectability, since 
the date of full freedom. IMiey pour in from the country 
partly on foot, and partly on mules, or horses, of their own. 
They now entirely support the mission, and are enlarging their 
chapel at the expense of £1,000 sterling. Their subscriptions 
to this and other collateral objects, are at once voluntary and 
very liberal. " I have brought my mite for the chapel," said a 
black woman once a slave, to S. Oughton, a day or two before 
our meeting; "lam sorry it is no more ;" she then put into 
his hand, two pieces of gold, amounting to five dollars. This 
description, which would apply with equal force, to several 
other scenes witnessed by us in Jamaica, may be sufficient to 
show the utter fallacy of the notion, that the cause of religion 
has declined in that island, since the breaking of the bonds of 
the slave. The exact contraiy, is pre-eminently the truth. 

We always endeavored, during our residence in Jamaica, to 
hold the balance even between the Baptists and the Methodists, 
the chapels of both denominations being freely offered to us. Li 
the afternoon, a meeting was held in piu'suance of public adver- 
tisement, in the Wesley Chapel — a house of similar vast size. 
The congregation was very large and promiscuous, consisting 
of persons of all ranks, parties, and colors. Much had 
the colony been perplexed and agitated by the strife of 
parties. No wonder, therefore, that we felt it to be our 
duty to preach peace and charity, and to uphold the effici- 
ency of evangelical and vital religion, as the radical remedy for 
all abuses. " Every valley shall be exalted, and every moun- 
tain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be 



76 -fet JAMAICA. 

made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the 
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." 

Third-month (March) 2d. Under the guidance of our friends 
J. and M. Candler, we drove several miles into the countiy, to 
breakfast at Papine, the estate of J. B. Wildman, late member 
of parliament for Colchester. There we were entertained by 
William Manning, a catechist of the church Missionary So- 
ciety, who, like other agents of that institution in the island, is 
veiy valuable and useful. The house is embosomed in tropical 
trees of rare beauty, one of them a mahogany- tree, covered with 
small dark leaves, and spreading its branches like one of our vast 
oaks. Large red lilies were growing wild among the grass and 
shrubs. The productions of nature in this island, are some- 
what different from any that we had before seen. For example, 
the pimento or Jamaica pepper tree, which produces the "all- 
spice" — of lofty grey trunk, and dark polished fragrant leaf; the 
lignum vitse, profusely adorned with blue blossoms ; the date 
palm, much exceeding the cocoa-nut tree in the luxuriance of its 
branches, and many delicate kinds of acacia. As to the mango 
trees, they may be said to cover the country, and during the 
four sunmier months, afford abundance of delicious food to 
men, mules, horses, cows, and pigs. All animals seem equally 
fond of this fruit. The birds of Jamaica are also more various 
and frequent than in the other islands which we visited. The 
turkey buzzard, so common in your southern states, abounds 
here, and is protected by law, from the gunner ; being of great 
use in clearing the island of carrion, and all other sorts of 
unhealthy garbage. A sweet songster is heard in the country, 
called here the nightingale, which, at times, it much resembles 
in its note. It is in fact a variety of the American mocking 
bird, arid is nearly of the same size and appearance. 

We were disappointed, on visiting the sugar works of Papine, 
to find them stopped ; and we saw young men, doing nothing, 
in some of the comfortable cottages which have been built on 
this property. The reason assigned was, that there was " a matter 



JAMAICA. 77 

to settle." The said matter turned out to be flie trial of a 
" myalist," or "black doctor," one of those persons who hold com- 
munion, as is imagined, with departed spirits, and practice 
medicine, under their direction, for the cure of the Hving — the 
diseases themselves, being ascribed to Obeah, or evil witchcraft. 
These superstitions, although not nearly so prevalent as formerly, 
still prevail in some places, and deprived as the negroes now 
are of regular medical attendance, some of them have recourse 
to these magical quack doctors, to the great danger of their 
lives. The whole d.-iy was now given up by the people to this 
strange concern ; but under a promise of their working for 
their master two of their usual spare days, in lieu of it. The 
myalist, a young fellow of eighteen or twenty, dressed in the 
height of the fashion and jet black, was brought up before our 
friend Manning to be examined — several men, and a crowd of 
women, being in attendance. He openly confessed his necro- 
mancy, and as a proof of its success, shewed us two miserable 
women, one sick of fever, the other mutilated with leprosy, 
whom he pretended to have cured. The evidence was re- 
garded by the people as resistless, and our plain declarations of 
disbelief in the myalist, were very unwelcome to them. They 
said it was " no good." We were sorry to observe the obsti- 
nacy of their delusion, but such things will be gradually cor- 
rected by Christian instruction. 

Under slaveiy, two hundred slaves were supported on Papine 
estate ; now it is worked by forty free laborers. The saving of 
expense occasioned by this change cannot fail to be considera- 
ble. The young people are taught to read. The men and 
women are generally married, and faithful in the maintenance 
of the marriage tie. Bibles are sold to the negroes here, as in 
other parts of the island, by the agents of the Bible Society, at 
the cost price. Many of the people make a sacrifice — ^far beyond 
the power of the peasantry of Great Britain — in order to obtain 
quarto Bibles with gilt edges ! 

From Papine, we went forward to the Hope sugar estate, be- 



78 JAMAICA, 

longing to the Duke of Buckingham, Under the apprenticeship, 
it had fallen into almost entire decay, from mismanagement, and 
was a very losing concern ; but it is now leased, together with a 
coffee estate of greater value, to Joseph Gordon, a respectable resi- 
dent planter, for £2,000 per annum — I believe sterling.* This 
gentleman is bringing the property round, by free labor, and will 
doubtless make it answer his purpose. He has about one hun- 
dred and fifty laborers upon it, well at work, under an able 
overseer. We had much pleasure in visiting them in the 
fields. The women were cutting canes, at one shilling sterling 
per day ; the men were holing, at job, or task work, and were 
earning at least twice the amount. Many of them indeed finish 
their two shillings worth by noon ; and can double it, if they 
please, before sundown. On the other hand, they pay their 
landlord a fair rent, for their cottages and provision grounds — 
generally half a dollar per week. 

The fairness and propriety of this arrangement cannot be 
questioned ; and all that is required to render it complete, is to 
give to the tenant, by deed or otherwise, an independent lien, 
for a reasonable period, upon his little tenancy. He will 
then have the opportunity of taking his own stock in trade, 
namely his labor, to the best market ; free from all compulsion, 
except that of voluntary contract, to work on any particular 
estate, or for any particular rate of wages. Wherever the peas- 
antry of Jamaica have been thus trusted and honorably treated, 
they have seldom failed, to work on the properties of their old 
masters, which are the most familiar to them, and the nearest to 
their homes — provided always that fair wages be given, and 
these paid weekly in cash. But it has been the unhappy lot of 
this colony^ to be much perplexed with this subject of rent, 
which was prematurely forced on the attention of the people, 
immediately after the date of full freedom. Had it been per- 
mitted to find its own way, by degrees, on the common principles 

*jG1 currency is equal to 12 shillings sterling ; or j£10 currency, there- 
fore, to £6 sterling. 



JAMAICA. 79 

which regulate the n(T;urs of men, there can be no doubt thai 
the laborers of Jamaica would have been just as little disturbed 
and unsettled, as diosc in Antigua and Dominica. 

As it is, the question of tenancy has been mixed up with tbat 
of labor, on a groat proportion of the estates on this island. In 
case of any misunderstanding between the overseer and the la- 
borers, on the subject of the work, either as to its duration, or 
price, direats of ejectment have followed. These threats in 
many cases have been put in forcible execution. Cottages have 
been unroofed and even demolished. Cocoa-nut and bread fruit 
trees have been cut down ; provision grounds have been des- 
poiled by the hand of violence, or trodden under foot of oxen ; 
and thus the laborers have been driven to seek for themselves 
a new home, either by moving away to otlier properties, or by 
purchasing little Treeholds on the neighboring mountains. We 
often heard of these instances of violence, and satu something of 
them ; yet I would charitably believe that they have been com- 
paratively rare. Not so, the plan of doubling or trebling the 
rent, or even multiplying it fourfold, upon the arbitraiy decision 
of die employer, or of charging it j^er capita against husband, 
wife, and each of the children, as a penal exaction, to compel 
labor — the screw for this purpose being completed, in many 
cases, by distraint of goods and imprisonment of person. Sor- 
rowful to say, this plan has been practised through the length 
and breadth of the island. Every one must perceive that it 
classes under slavery, of which the very essence is, compul- 
sory labor. The discontent, heart burning, and desertion 
of estates, to which it has given rise, are the natural conse- 
quences of the infraction of pure justice ; and forai the princi- 
pal explanation of the discouraging accounts which have, 
from time- to time, been given of Jamaica^ since the date of 
freedom. 

On the other hand, the estates which have been managed on 
those just and equal principles, which allow full scope to the 
freedom of the laborer, have in general been blessed with tran- 
quility and prosperity. The favorable and unfavorable accoimts 



80 JAMAICA. 

from Jamaica, (allowing for a little exaggeration on either side,) 
are both essentially true ; and, with little exception, they are the 
respective results of two opposite methods of management. But 
the evil is correcting itself; a better understanding is gradually 
taking place ; and masters and laborers are increasingly in the 
way of being bound together — not by unfair methods of com- 
pulsion, but by the surer, safer, bond of a common interest. 

To continue our narrative — after visiting the Hope estate, 
we rode to an independent village consisting of the set- 
tlements of seventy families, who have purchased good plots of 
land, and have built, or are building, for themselves, pretty 
comfortable cottages. We were glad to find that the men of 
this settlement are still working for wages on the neighboring 
estates. Our friend Manning was with us, and the people at 
the village seemed very anxious to obtain, through his assist- 
ance, some permanent arrangement for a weekly religious ser- 
vice. The village appeared to us to be a scene of thrift and 
contentment. 

" How many dollars should I find in thy purse at home ?" 
said one of our company to a young married negro, who was 
guiding us along one of the mountain passes. "Should I find 
Jive /" " Yes, sir," replied he, " and no great matter neither." 
How very few of our laborers in England, would be found with 
twenty shillings, in their purse, of spare money — was our reflec- 
tion on the occasion. " How much dost thou pay at one time 
for liquor ?" " A pound, sir," said he — that is twelve shillings 
sterling — which lasts this laborer for wine, porter, &c., only 
six weeks. They are by no means given to intemperance, but 
some of them keep these articles in their cottages, for their own 
use in times of hard labor, and for the entertainment of their 
friends — a luxury which we hope will be soon exchanged for 
domestic comforts of a more desirable character. Their pro- 
vision grounds are often extremely productive, sometimes 
yielding a clear income of £20 or £25 sterling. They are a 
decent, intelligent race, alive to their own interest, and increas- 
ingly cognizant of all that concerns it. 



JAMAICA. 



81 



On our return, to Kingston, wo dined with a few of the 
planters and merchants, at the house of our friend, George 
Atkinson, liinisclf a ])lant(n-. They gave us individually , a favor- 
able account of the working of the negroes on their properties. 
These rrien of business take a hopeful view of the improved 
condition of affairs within the last few months, and appear to 
look forAvard, on substantial grounds, to the future prosperity 
of the colony. 

But it is time to conclude this letter. 

I am (fcc. <fcc. 



LETTER VIII, 



JAMAICA. 



Flushing, L. /., Sixth-month {June) \Qth, 1840. 

My deab Friend, 

With all due apologies for the familiar mode in which I am 
telling our story, I shall proceed to make further extracts from 
the simple diaries of our stay in Jamaica, In this way I hope 
to place thee in possession of the facts of the case, and to de- 
velop the principles out of which they sprmg. 

Third-month, (March) 3rd.— Three of our company drove 
eastward from Kingston, seven miles, to a tavern by the road 
side, where we were provided with an excellent breakfast. 
Afterwards we mounted horses for an excursion up the Port- 
Royal mountains. A climb of four miles, in the midst of lux- 
uriant vegetation and noble scenery, brought us to Halberstadt, 
a coffee plantation belonging to John Casper Weiss, of which 
we had heard a dismal report, at Kingston, from an individual 
who was connected with the owner of the property. We 
were therefore the more pleased, on entering the plantation, 
which has somewhat the appearance of an English pleasure- 
ground, to see it well clad with vigorous coffee-trees, and a 
large company of good-looking negroes, diligently engaged in 
pruning them. There was certainly no lack of production here, 
and none of effectual labor. We held a friendly parley with 
the laborers, whom we encouraged to continued industry, and 
then went forward to the great house, (as they call the planter's 
residence on each estate) in this instance, a neat dwelling em- 
bosomed in mountains, and commanding an extensive view of 
the sea. A more lovely spot I have seldom seen. There, on 
delivering our letter of introduction, we were kindly received 



JAMAICA. 83 

and entertained by the proprietor, to whom we were entire 
strangers. 

One hundred and seventy slaves, or apprentices, used to be 
supported on this estate. Now, our friend employs fifty-four 
free laborers, who work for him four days in the week, talcing 
one day for their provision grounds, and another for market. 
This is all the labor that he requires ; and willingly did he 
acknowledge the superior advantage which attends the present 
system. The saving of expense is obvious. 

I understood our friend to allow that the average cost of 
supporting a slave was £5 sterling per annum. 

170 slaves at £5 per annum, is . . £850 

He pays 54 laborers 4s. 6d. per week, one day's 
labor being set off against rent, for 50 weeks, 
2 weeks being allowed for holydays, . 607 10 



Saving under freedom, . . £242 10 

Here I would just remark that the setting off of a day's labor, 
against rent, cannot be regarded as a desirable plan ; for, in the 
first place, it involves the wife in the payment of rent as well 
as the husband — both being required to give their day's labor ; 
and, secondly, it is quite unreasonable to expect that work, 
already (as it were) paid for, should be executed as well as that 
for which payment is expected. It was no matter of surprise 
to us, to hear that the work performed by the laborers of Hal- 
berstadt, on the day assigned to rent, was by no means equal 
to the usual average. 

J. C. Weiss shewed us his works, and kindly explained to 
us the whole process of coffee cultivation. First comes the 
planting of the sucker — a slip with a root to it — five years 
being allowed for its gi'owth, in a space from five to eight feet 
square, according to the nature of the soil. The plant looks 
like a handsome laurel, powdered in the blossoming season, 
with white flowers ; the berries red, sweet, and pulpy, each con- 
taining two coffee seeds or stones. The average amuial pro- 
duce of a coffee plant on these mountauis, is one pound of 



84 JAMAICA. 

coffee — the height of the plant, varying from three to ten 
feet. After about fifty years it ceases to bear ; and the land 
becomes ruinate ; that is, incapable of producing any more 
coffee. But the truth of this prevailing notion may be ques- 
tioned. The principal field operations, after the plant begins 
to bear, are pruning and picking — no severe work for the 
laborer. Then comes the " pulping" — in a mill formed for the 
purpose— by which the stones are deprived of the surrounding 
pulp and outer skin. In a second mill, they are peeled of their 
inner skin, and separated from it by winnowing, as wheat from 
chaff. The coffee is then spread in the sun, on large, open, 
clay floors, called Barbecues. After being well dried, it is sub- 
jected to a process, called house-picking, which is nothing 
more than the separation by hand, of the broken and inferior 
seeds, from those of a better quality. Finally comes the pack- 
ing of the coffee in bags and barrels, which are conveyed, on 
mules, down the mountain paths, to the place of shipment. 
We saw a number of women diligently at work in the house, 
picking, and men at the mills. Thus the whole scene was one 
of order and industry. The proprietor informed us, that 
although a temporary unsettlement, since the change of system, 
had occasioned a diminution of produce, there was now a 
decided reaction ; and that if his people continued to work, as 
they were then doing, an increased crop next year, might 
reasonably be expected. After an early dinner, our kind host 
conducted us, on horseback, to an estate on a higher mountain 
eminence, called Bloxburgh. As we rode along, and when we 
had attained the height, the views of the hills, plains, and 
distant sea, with the palisades, town of Port Royal and Kings- 
ton harbor, on one side — and of deep ravines and wooded dells 
backed by the Blue Mountains, on the other — were of unusual 
sublimity and beauty. We could not be surprised, that Colum- 
bus, in his day, was so much delighted with the scenery of 
Jamaica. 

At Bloxburgh we found an agreeable young man from Scot- 
land, who was then sole manager of a very extensive coffee 



JAMAICA. 86 

estate, belonging to Park & Hall of Liverpool. He told us 
that he had ninety laborers at work, who were doing as well as 
those on the ncighl)oring properties ; and that he was looking 
forward to an increased produce for the future. It appeared 
however, that he had been engaged in some conflicts with them, 
on the subject of rent and wages, which did not evince an 
enlightened management. 

Here it may be well to notice the fact, that the great majority 
of estates in Jamaica, belong to absentee proprietors, who reside 
in England. In Jamaica, they are placed under the care of 
some attorney, or representative of the owner ; one attorney 
often undertaking the care of numerous estates. Under the 
attorney, is the overseer, on each particular property, on whom 
the management almost exclusively devolves. This state of 
things is extremely unfavorable to the welfare of Jamaica. If 
the proprietors cannot give their personal attention to their es- 
tates, it would certainly be a better plan to lease them to eligible 
tenants on the spot — a practice which has, of late years, been 
adopted in many instances. It is only surprising that estates 
never visited by the proprietor, and seldom by the attorney, but 
left to the care of inexperienced young men, often of immoral 
character, should prosper at all. Nor would they prosper, even 
as they now do, but for two causes ; first, the exuberant bounty 
of nature, and secondly, the orderly, inoffensive, conduct, and 
patient industry, of the negro race. 

Many of the coffee-estates in this neighborhood are on veiy 
high ground, one or more at least four thousand feet above the 
level of the sea. Our intelligent conductor pointed out several 
of them to us, and, with little exception, gave a good account 
of their condition under freedom. At llalberstadt we were 
lodged as well as boarded ; and, the next morning, after read- 
ing the Scriptures with the black people, we took our leave ; 
and pursued our course, by a mountain path, many miles in 
length, to Lucky Valley, a dell of great beauty, where there 
are both coffee and sugar estates. The path was, in parts, 

one of extreme narrowness, with a bank on one side, and a 

8 



86 JAMAICA. 

precipice on the other, but our horses were sure footed, and we 
rode along in safety. 
^ For the first time, I observed the great aloe in bloom — its vast 
^ stem, profusely covered with bunches of yellov/ blossoms, and 
the little green " grass birds," somewhat larger than the hum- 
ming birds, busily engaged in ravishing its sweets. Such a 
spectacle in England or America, would attract a crowd of 
visiters. At Lucky Valley, we met with the usual hospitality 
of a Jamaica planter. Our friend, Hector M. Wood, until that 
hour a perfect stranger to us, kindly took us in, gave us a good 
dinner, led us over his sugar-works, and showed us his people 
industriously at work. He assured us that although liis pre- 
' ' sent crop was not large, he was expecting a decided increase 
for the future — a statement which applies, not only to the es- 
tates visited during this excursion, but to the generality of pro- 
perties in the neighborhood. Our friend had long acted as 
overseer or manager for others, and was one of those persons 
who had wisely availed himself of the times of fear and de- 
pression, shortly before freedom, in order to purchase landed 
property for himself I have very little doubt, that he will 
make his fortune. His wife is a colored person, of agreeable 
manners, and much respectability. 

The rapid diffusion of marriage among the negroes, and 
the increase of it even among the white inhabitants in Jamaica, 
is one of the happiest results of freedom. We were assured on 
good authority that four times as many marriages took place, 
last year, in Jamaica, as in an equal population, on an average, 
in England — a fact which proves not only that numerous new 
■connections are formed, but also that multitudes who were for- 
merly living as man and wife, without the right sanction, are 
now convinced of the sinfulness of the practice, and are availing 
themseh-es, with eagerness, of the marriage covenant. It 
appears that upwards of 1600 negro couples, were married in 
the Baptist churches alone, during the year 1839. 

On our way to the tavern, where we had left our carriage, 
the day before, we passed through a narrow and picturesque 



JAMAICA. W 

defile of lofty limestone rocks, — the " Falls" river, nishing 
along between them. At one place it forms a water-fall wliicli 
reminded me of Wales and Scotland. We returned to Kings- 
ton, in the evening, much amused and instructed with our ex- 
cursion. We had selected the Port Royal district, not because 
we expected any peculiar satisfaction from inspecting it, but 
rather because we had heard complaints of its condition. — 
After viewing things for ourselves, we returned home, encour- 
aged and consoled. 

Third-month (March) 5th. A meeting of the Jamaica Anti- 
slavery Society was appointed to be held, this evening, at 
Spanishtown. As we had both information and advice to com- 
municate, we believed it to be our duty to attend, on the occa- 
sion ; the society being wholly divested of party politics, and 
aiming simply at the extinction of slavery, all the world over. 
Spanishtown is the seat of Government — a place of ten thou- 
sand inhabitants. It is hot and dusty, like Kingston ; but it is 
considered to be an improving place. Many of the houses both 
in the town and vicinity, have been rebuilt or repaired, since the 
date of freedom. The road leading to it, from Kingston, is flat 
and uninteresting ; but one object on its side, cannot fail to at- 
tract the attention of the traveller. It is a splendid specimen of 
the silk-cotton tree, equal in size with that in St, Thomas, but 
excelling it in beauty. It was profusely covered, when we saw 
it, with bright green foliage ; and spread its shade to an aston- 
ishing extent. 

In the evening, nearly two thousand people, white, brown, and 
black, assembled in the Baptist chapel, and Judge Bernard, a 
magistrate and planter of the highest respectability, took the 
chair. One principal object of the meeting was the appointment of 
deputies to the World's Convention, for the abolition of slavery, 
about to be held in London. It was addressed in a lively and 
pertinent manner by many of the missionaries, of various de- 
nominations, from different parts of the island. Towards the 
close of it, it fell to my lot to communicate some important in- 
formation respecting the worldng of freedom in the islands to 



If 

m 



88 JAMAICA. 

the windward, and to impress upon all parties present, the duty 
of equal justice on the one hand, and of charity and moderation, 
on the other. I endeavored to persuade the land-owners of the 
utter impropriety and impolicy of mixing up the two ques- 
tions of rent and wages — a practice which has so greatly inter- 
fered, in Jamaica, with the unfettered operation of freedom ; and 
I explained to our black brethren, who flocked from the country 
to the meeting, how greatly they would promote the cause of 
emancipation, in other parts of the world, by setting an example 
of patient industry as cultivators of the soil, and by increasmg 
the stafle exports of the Island. I ventured to remark that 
the eyes of North America in particular, were fixed upon Ja- 
maica, watching the pecuniary, as well as moral, result of the 
great experiment, I am sure thou wilt acknowledge that this 
was sober and practical doctrine ; and certainly, on their part, it 
was received with a degree of intelligence and hearty good will, 
which I have never seen exceeded on any similar occasion. The 
interest which these people feel in the freedom of their race, is 
extreme ; and many of them are liberal subscribers to the Soci- 
ety. 

The Legislature was not then sitting, and the Governor, Sir 
Charles Metcalfe, was absent on a visit to some other parts of 
the island. We had no opportunity, therefore, during this visit 
to Spanishtown, of communicating with many of the oflicial 
men, but were well pleased to be introduced to Richard Hill, 
the Secretary of the Department of Stipendiary Magistrates. He 
is colored ; and in times of conflict and prejudice, the more vio- 
tent advocates of slaveiy on the island, used to call him the 
"black viper;" but his unquestionable integrity, talents, and 
knowledge of public business, have secured him the respect and 
confidence of the public. He was oflfered the government of St. 
Lucie, but declined the appointment, from an apprehension that 
his color would subject him to indignity. His opinion of the 
working of freedom in Jamaica, grounded on an extensive 
and accurate acquaintance with the subject, is highly favor- 
able. His only fear is, lest unequal laws or unjust practices. 



JAMAICA. 89 

should impede its native force, and mar its operation. In tlieso 
views \vc fully agree with him. Let freedom alone, and all 
will be well. 

This view of the subject was pleasantly confirmed by somo 
valuable missionaries of the Scotch Kirk, who reside in the 
Parish (or coiuity) of St. Maiy. In that district, rent and 
wages have been arranged quite independently of each other, 
and lal)or has been suflTered to find its market, without ob- 
struction. The consequence is, that there have been no 
differences, and the people are working well. The quantity 
of work obtained from a freeman there, is far beyond the old 
task of the slave. In the laborious occupation of holing, the 
emancipated negroes perform double the work of the slave, 
in a day. In road making the day's task under slavery, 
was to brealc four barrels of stone. Now, by task-work, a 
weak hand will fill eight barrels, a strong one, from ten to 
twelve barrels. 

Afterwards we called on Charles Nicholas Palmer, formerly 
M. P. for the County of Surrey, who was with us at the anti- 
slaveiy meeting, and fully united in the views which were there 
unfolded. He is the owner of five estates in Jamaica, which 
are regulated on fair principles, — so powerful, in themselves, as 
the source of success. He gave us an excellent account of the 
conduct and industry of his laborers, assured us that he was 
greatly indebted to the influence of their Christian pastors ; and 
added the pleasing information that these properties were now 
emancipating themselves from the burden of debt, and conse- 
quent mercantile restrictions, by which they had been op- 
pressed under slavery. 

Third-month (March) 7. — This day was spent in a t6te a-t6te 
ride on horseback, with J. M. Phillippo, the respected minister 
of the Baptist congregation at Spanishto^vn ; and certainly, it 
was one of micommon interest. We set off very early in the 
morning, and pursued a gradually ascending course for thirteen 
miles, until we arrived at Sligoville, where the Governor has 
a delightful country-seat, and my friend, the Baptist, a mission- 

8* 



90 JAMAICA. 

ary station and school. The country through which we passed 
is rich in fertihty and beauty, and we had the pleasure of ob- 
serving well cultivated provision grounds and gardens, on the 
road side, which were entirely the growth of freedom. As we 
rode along, we met a great number of country people, with 
large, well-balanced baskets, on their heads, of fruits and veg- 
etables, which they were carrying to the Spanishtown market. 
They uniformly met us with a smile of pleasure, and friendly 
salutations. The minister was well known to them, and many 
of them had been present at the anti-slavery meeting, with 
which they were much delighted. Their manners are, in an 
extraordinary degree, respectful and polite. 

At the Baptist station at Sligoville, we spent several hours. 
It is located on a lofty hill, and is surrounded by fifty acres of 
fertile mountain land. This property is divided into one hun- 
dred and fifty freehold lots, fifty of which had been already sold 
to the emancipated laborers, and had proved a timely refuge for 
many laborers who had been driven, by hard usage, from their 
former homes. Some of them had built good cottages ; others, 
temporaiy huts ; and others again were preparing the ground 
for building. Their gardens were cleared, or in process of 
clearing, and in many cases, already brought into fine cultiva- 
tion. Not a hoe, I believe, had ever been driven into that land 
before. Now^ a village had risen up, with every promise of 
comfort and prosperity, and the land was liliely to produce a 
vast abundance of nutritious food. The people settled there 
were all married pairs, mostly with families, and the men em- 
ployed the bulk of their time, in working for wages on the 
neighboring estates. The chapel and the school were inmie- 
diately at hand, and the religious character of the people stood 
high. Never did I witness a scene of greater industry, or one 
more marked by contentment for the present, and hope for the 
future. How instructive to remember that two years ago, this 
peaceful village had no existence ! 

After partaking of needful refreshment, in the neat but com- 
modious countiy house, with which J. M. Phillippo was here 



JAMAICA. 91 

provided, wc returned towards Spanishtowii, by a yet wilder 
})atli, over stones, and lhrou;(li brakes and l)riars, until we came 
to Clarksontown, another village of tlie same description, biit 
in rather a more forward state of cultivation. Here we were 
refreshed, by the hospitable people, with drafts of lemonade. 
We found them industriously engaged in cultivating tlieir own 
freeholds. Many of thcni had long been laborers on a neigh- 
boring estate, from which they had at last been forced away, by 
ill treatment. Their cocoa-nuts had been felled— their huts 
demolished. What could they do but seek a new home? 
They crowded round us, and expressed the most entire wil- 
lingness again to work on the property, if they were but treated 
with fairness and kindness. They were well known to my 
friend Phillippo, being many of them members of his church, 
and a better conditioned, or better maimered, peasantry, could 
not easily be foiuid. 

On our return home, we visited two neighboring estates, of 
about equal size (I believe) and equal fertility ; both, among 
the finest properties, for natural and local advantages, which I 
any where saw in Jamaica. One was in difficulty — the other 
all prosperity. The first was the estate already alluded to, 
which had been deprived of so many hands, by vain attempts 
to compel the labor of freemen. There, if I am not mistaken, 
I saw, as we passed by, the clear marks of that violence, by 
which the people had been expelled. The second, called 
" Dawkin's Cayraanas," was under the enlightened attorneyship 
of Judge Bernard, who with his lady, and the respectable over- 
seer, met us on the spot. On this property, the laborers were 
independent tenants. Their rent was settled, according to 
the money value of the tenements which they occupied, 
and they were allowed to take their labor to the best 
market they could find. As a matter of course, they took it to 
the home market ; and excellently were they working, on the 
property of their old master. The attorney, the overseer, and 
the laborers, all seemed equally satisfied— equally at their ease. 



92 JAMAICA. 

Here then was one property which would occasion a had rejjort 
of Jamaica — another which would as surely give rise to a good 
report. As it regards the properties themselves, both reports 
are true — and they are the respective results of two opposite 
modes of management. 

At Dawkin's Caymanas, we had the pleasure of witnessing an 
interesting spectacle ; for the laborers on the property, with 
their wives, sons and daughters, were on that day, met at a pic- 
nic dinner. The table, of vast length, was spread under a 
wattled building erected for the purpose, and at the convenient 
hour of six in the evening, (after the day's work was finished,) 
was loaded with all sorts of good fare — soup, fish, fowls, pigs, 
and joints of meat in abundance. About one hundred and 
fifty men and women, of the African race, attired with the 
greatest neatness, were assembled, in much harmony and order, 
to partake of the feast ; but no drink was provided, stronger 
than water. It was a sober, substantial, repast — the festival of 
peace and freedom. This dinner was to have taken place on 
New Year's day ; but it so happened, that a Baptist Meeting 
House in another part of the island, had been destroyed by fire ; 
and at the suggestion of their minister, these honest people 
agreed to waive their dinner, and to subscribe their money, in- 
stead, to the rebuilding of the Meeting House. For this 
purpose, they raised a noble sum (I believe considerably 
upwards of £,100 sterling ;) and now, in the third month of the 
year, finding that matters were working well with them, they 
thought it well to indulge themselves with their social dinner. 
By an unanimous vote, they commissioned me to present a 
message of their affectionate regards, to Thomas Clarkson, and 
Thomas Fowell Buxton, the two men, to whom of all others, 
perhaps, they were the most indebted for their present enjoyment. 
In the course of this delightful ride, I observed several beauti- 
ful birds, entirely new to me — the woodpecker of Jamaica, 
finely varied with red, black and green ; the bright green toady, 
of the size of a small wren, with scarlet throat ; a larger bird 
like a robin, green and purple ; and the smallest of the " fowls 



JAMAICA. 93 

of the ;iii" — if fowl it inay be called — the bee humming-bird, just 
about the size of a bumble l)ee, <and much rcsoiiibUng it, in 
maiuicr and appearance. Our friend Richard Hill is an 
(unithologist and artist, and has made an admirable set of 
drawings of the biidsof this island, which 1 trust, in due season, 
will be presented to thepulilic. 

The following day was the First of the week, and brought 
with it, at Spanishtown, a repetition of the scenes which had so 
much interested us, the preceding week, at Kingston — a vast 
meeting of negro laborers, at the Baptist Meeting House in the 
morning, and at the Methodist Chapel in the evening, a promiscu- 
ous assembly of all classes and colors — both meetings held, of 
course, after the manner of the Society of Friends, The 
principles upheld to view on these occasions, were not of a 
sectarian nature ; but were calculated, we trust, to cement all 
sound christians, in " the unity of the spirit, and in the bond 
of peace." In reference to the meeting held in the morning, 
one of our company observes, " I watched the people as they 
sat before us, shoulder to shoulder — I witnessed the tears start- 
ing to their eyes, and saw their significant tokens of response — 
I heard "yes massa" faintly and involuntarily escaping the 
lips of some of them. In short, here was before me a people, 
only a few years ago, under the grinding, iron hand of bondage, 
ignorant, degraded, and desponding — now free, feeling, and 
intelligent." 

I am, &c., (fcc. 



'^^ 



LETTER IX. 



.^1 JAMAICA. 



-' '^TT 



Flushing, L. I., 6th Month (June) 12th, 1840. 

My dear Fmend. 

I will now continue my diary. 

Third-month (March) 9th. At an early hour this morning, 
my friend Mahlon Day and myself, drove out ten miles on the 
high road to Old Harbor, to Bravo Penn, a handsome villa, 
the seat of Alexander Bravo. He is a member of the Council, 
Gustos of the parish of Clarendon, a large land owner, and once 
the holder of a thousand slaves. Great as his stake was in the 
old system, he was even then the firm friend of freedom, in the 
efficacy of which he felt great confidence ; and when all around 
him were talking of ruin, he set his apprentices to work to build 
the capital mansion, in which he now resides. He is a married 
man, the father of a large young family. At his house we were 
met by our friends, Palmer, late of Surrey, and Ramsay, Custos 
of St. Catharine's. 

That confidence in the safety of freedom, which A. Bravo 
displayed by building his mansion during the apprenticeship, 
has been farther manifested, since emancipation, by his hiring 
two large properties belonging to the Marquess of Sligo. These 
he is now conducting, for his own benefit, in addition to several 
sugar and coffee estates of which he is the owner ; and I find 
he is yet further extending his sugar cultivation, by forming 
a new plantation for the purpose, on a farm hitherto in grass. 
These proceedings involve a practical testimony of the iiighest 
value, in favor of the present system. They are, as I understand, 
connected with the fact, that the payment of wages to a compar- 
atively small number of free laborers, produces a far less formi- 




JAMAICA. 95 

dable debit in account, than the support of a thousand slaves, 
with all its collateral pecuniary burdens. 

Our friend Brtivo has had the good sense to separate the two 
points of reiU and wages. He charges the people a fair rent on 
their cottages and provision grounds, according to the money- 
value of their occupation ; at the same time, he pays them good 
wages, and leaves them at perfect liberty to take their labor to a 
better market, if they can find one. The consequence is that 
they arc, in general, happy and contented, and work on his 
estates, willingly and vigorously. The result of his own expe- 
rience and of his extensive knowledge of the island, is just this — 
that the emancipated negroes, are working well, on the proper- 
ties of their former holders, wherever they are fairly, kindly, 
and wisely, treated. These adverbs are severally intended to 
have their distinct force. All infractions of pure justice — all 
new fangled attempts to compel labor — all oppressive, inequita- 
ble modes of management — must in the first place be renounced. 
Harsh, unkind treatment, profane swearing, and all hard lan- 
guage, must, in the second place, be avoided. And lastly, there 
must be discretion and firmness. Where fairness and kindness 
are practised, there will still be little probability of success, if 
unwise sacrifices are made of the rights of the master — if, for 
instance, the laborers are allowed to take any quantity of wild 
land that they please, for their provision grounds, for little or 
no rent, and so render themselves independent of wages. Again, 
the occasional caprices to which they are prone, and which are 
apt to irritate the tempers of overseers, require to be met by a 
calm and steady resistance. On one of A. Brave's estates, the 
people had shortly before, struck work for the renewal of an 
extravagant rate of wages, which had been allowed them, under 
peculiar circumstances, the year before. Our friend knew that 
the demand was unreasonable, and quietly yet firmly resisted it. 
The consequence was that in a veiy few days, they were all at 
work again, as heartily as before. He is further of the judgment, 
that like other laborers, all the world over, they require a careful 
superintendence. In the nature of things, their service will be 



96 JAMAICA. 

more or less, eye-service, until they come to be fully impressed^ 
with their moral and religious obligations, as cultivators of the 
soil. 

After breakfast we drove to Kelly's, one of Lord Sligo's pro- 
perties. Here all is prospering, under A. Bravo's care ; and 
Lord Sligo has given directions for the building of one hun- 
dred comfortable cottages on the estate, which are to be leased 
to the laborers, with one-acre plots of ground ; so as to render 
them independent tenants. By this wise and liberal arrange- 
ment, the Marquess will, I trust, succeed, first, in obtaining a 
good rental, and secondly, in securing a constant home supply 
of labor, amply sufficient for the cultivation of his estate. We 
saw the people, on this property, busily engaged in the laborious 
occupation of holing— a work for which ploughing is now 
pretty generally substituted, in Jamaica. " How are you all 
getting along?" said my companion, to a tall, bright-looking 
black man, busily engaged with his hoe. " Right well, massa, 
right well," he replied. " I am from America," said my friend, 
" where there are many slaves : what shall I say to them from 
you ? shall I tell them that freedom is working well here ?" 
" Yes, massa," said he, " much well under freedom — thank God 
for it." " Much well" they were indeed doing, for they were 
earning a dollar for every hundred cane holes — a great effort 
certainly, but one which many of them accomplished by four 
o'clock in the afternoon. " How is this ?" asked the same 
friend, as he felt the lumps or welts on the shoulder of another 
man. " 0, massa," cried the negro, " I was flogged when a 
slave — no more whip now — all free." We left " Kelly's" for 
an hour or two, on a visit to Henry Taylor, the Baptist mission- 
ary at Old Harbor, who has under his care a large congr6gation 
and excellent school. We observed two large merchantmen 
in the harbor, and a third approaching it at a distance — no evi- 
dence that this part of the country has failed to be productive ! 
On our return to Kelly's, the laborers were assembled, at our 
request, under the shade of an old silk-cotton tree, and listened 
with eager interest, to the practical advices which we wished to 



JAMAICA. 97 

communicate. It was our desire to encourage them to a life of 
honesty, industry, and piety. And truly, they arc willing to be 
taught. 

One estate only, in tiiat district, was said to be under any 
diniculty, for want of sufficient labor — Bushy Park, a property 
of great extent and fertility, on which many hundred black 
people are located. They are said to belong to an African 
tribe which has been found, since they were transferred to the 
colonies, less easy to control than the generality of their 
brethren. We visited this estate in the afternoon, and a large 
number of them were convened, at our request, in front of the 
Great House — as fine a looking race as we any where saw. 
They were addressed, with much freedom and plainness, on the 
duties which devolved upon them as free hired laborers, — and 
most of them received the exhortation with cordiality. We had 
eveiy reason to believe, that the difficulties on this property, had 
arisen from the want of kind and judicious management, on 
the part of some former overseers. The present attorney is our 
friend George Atkinson, of Kingston, who has since informed 
us, that the obstructions have been removed, and to use his 
own expression — " that they are merrily at work." The even- 
ing was now advanced, and under the guidance of our kind 
friend, Gustos Ramsay, we returned to Spanishtown. 

I can hardly refrain from inserting an anecdote which he told 
us, illustrative of the mind and manners of this people. A 
tame plover which he kept in his garden, before the date of 
freedom, frightened at the report of a gun, was seen burying 
her long beak, and hiding her head, in the sand. A negro lad 
was passing by at the time, and after a few moments' melan- 
choly musing, was overheard saying, " Eveiy something know 
him own trouble I" 

Third-month (March) 10th. — Having arranged a journey to 
tlie northern coast, we left Kingston in two open carriages, being 
five Friends in company, much united in heart and judgment. 
Our friend Phillippo and his M-ife, kindly undertook to be our 
guides, during our first day's journey. This devoted mission- 



98 JAMAICA. 

ary appeared to us to have a far more extensive influence over 
the laboring population, than any other individual in Spanish- 
town ; and we can, from our own observation, venture to assert, 
that he exerts it in a beneficial manner — greatly to the advan- 
tage of the planter, as well as the laborer. Through many 
difl&culties, he has worked his way to a condition of comparative 
ease, and of great usefulness. He has eight missionary stations 
and eight schools, under his care, and like his brethren in other 
parts of the island, is greatly beloved and respected by the peo- 
ple. By the last accounts, the Baptists of Jamaica have twen- 
ty-six thousand members in church communion, and the Me- 
thodists, twenty-two thousand ; besides the multitude, not in 
membership, who attend their respective places of worship. 
Schools are connected, as a matter of course, with most of 
their numerous congregations. We saw five hundred black 
children, at once, assembled in J. M. Phillippo's chapel. 
Who can calculate the moral advantages derived to the negro 
population from these extensive efiforts in the cause of reli- 
gion — efforts which have been almost doubled, in efficacy, 
since the abolition of slavery ? That these advantages are at 
once great and solid, and appeared to us to be counteracted 
by no unfair bieis, we are bound to bear our unequivocal tes- 
timony. We can easily suppose that individual missionaries, 
during that long continuance of conflict and difficulty to which 
they have been exposed, have not always confined themselves 
within the bounds of prudence and moderation. We are our- 
selves aware of some such instances. But these circumstances 
are as nothing, when compared to the general influence of these 
pious men, in promoting both the temporal and spiritual welfare 
of all classes of the community. The Baptist missionaries in 
Jamaica, for many years past, have been the unflmching, untir- 
ing, friends of the negro. No threats have daunted them, no 
insults or persecutions have driven them from the field. They 
are now reaping their reward, in the devoted attachment of the 
people, and the increasingly prevalent acknowledgement of their 
integrity and usefulness. 



JAMAICA. 99 

We left Spanislitown under a hot sun, the dnst flying ; and 
after travellinjr oitrlitecu miles to the northward, we arrived at 
Jericho, a IJaplist settlement, in the hifj;hiands, in the midst 
of cIoikIs, mist, and violent rain. This sort of weather is 
common among the mountains in Jamaica, while the level 
plains on the coast are almost hurning with heat. Our course 
lay through the fertile and well-wooded parish of St. Thomas 
in the Vale, partly along the banks of the Bog river, which pre- 
sent a variety of picturesque scenery. The perpendicular 
rocks of white limestone, close beside the stream, are, in one 
spot very lofty ; and the trees of various kinds are rendered 
singular by the immense creepers, which hug their trunks. 
Some of these creepers bear a large white trumpet blossom, 
and are very handsome. Near the road-side stands Rodney 
workhouse, a place of confinement and punishment, notorious 
in former days, as a scene of cruelty. Under freedom, it has 
lost at once its inmates, and its terrors. We were kindly 
received by the missionary Merrick and his sister, and accom- 
modated free of all expense, with bed and board — a moun- 
tain kid was cooked for our dinner. A meeting for worship 
had been appointed for the evening, which, notwithstanding 
the stormy weather, was attended by many hundreds of the 
laboring people ; and was an occasion of much feeling and 
interest. 

Another meeting was appointed for the following evening, 
at St. Anne's Bay, on the northern coast, at a distance of 
thirty-five miles, and as our road lay over Mount Diavolo, it 
was necessary to start very early in the morning. But our 
horses, which had been turned out to grass, were lost in the 
fog, and we were foiled in our attempt to commence our jour- 
ney, before the usual breakfast hour. The ascent of Mount 
Diavolo is laborious, continuing for many miles ; and in order 
to relieve our horses, it was necessary to walk, in the heat, most 
of the way. But for this exertion we were amply repaid. The 
scenery was delightful — the hills are covered with forest, and 
the distant plains, beautifully cultivated, were seen in a succes- 



100 JAMAICA. 

sion of views, between their projections. On the steep slopes 
immediately below the road, are a number of plots of ground, 
lately purchased by the negroes, who were busily engaged in 
cultivating them, and in building their cottages. It is a land 
of rich pastures ; the fine cattle seemed half buried in the 
ffuinea srrass ; the meadows on the brow of the mountain, in 
which they were feeding, were richly adorned with fern-like 
tufts of bamboo. These grow to the height of forty or fifty 
feet, and wave about in the wind, like gigantic ostrich feathers. 
The road on the northern side of the mountain, winds down, 
by a gradual descent, into the luxuriant valley of Moneague, 
covered with guinea grass, and other herbage — very similar, in 
appearance, to some of the picturesque, fertile, valleys of Wales. 
But, amidst these beautiful scenes, we were undergoing the 
uneasiness of being belated, with an appointed meeting ahead, 
which we could not reach. Eighteen miles further had we to 
travel from Moneague, before we could arrive at the place of 
our destination ; the rain was falling in torrents, and the road, 
in parts, was steep and difficult. At length we reached St. 
Anne's bay, and on our arrival at the chapel, found the people 
in the act of dispersing. They rallied with surprising rapidity ; 
and, tired as we were, of travelling, and they of waiting, we all 
derived refreshment, I trust, from a short but solemn meeting 
for worship, during which the negroes, who had come from the 
country in large numbers, evinced their usual seriousness and 
good behavior. We afterwards found an agreeable resting- 
place, under the hospitable roof of the Baptist missionary, 
Thomas F. Abbott. His house is on the broAv of a high hill, 
and commands an animating view of the thriving little town, 
the bay, the shipping, and the luxuriant cane-fields spreading 
over the plain, on either side. This small place is increasing 
and prospering under freedom ; new houses are in course of 
erection, and property, near the town, is more than doubled in 
value. The owner of a piece of land which, five years ago, 
might have been purchased for |i 100, now refuses to take £500 
for it. The information which we here received, was highly. 



JAMAICA. 101 

satisfactory. Rent and wages are arranged, irrespectively of 
each other, on several large properties near the town. These 
are all doing well ; but on others where rent is made the in- 
strument for compelling labor, confusion and disputes have 
followed. One planter of St. Anne's parish, has cleared £3,000 
sterling, by the last crop, and freely acknowledges that he cul- 
tivates his land more easily and cheajdy than he did under 
slavery. Another planter, who had been bitterly complaining 
of approaching ruin, had refused a large sum of money for his 
estate, and had finally leased it for £600 sterling, per annum. 
During the last three years and a half, Thomas F. Abbott's 
congregation — composed almost exclusively of black laborers — 
have raised £2,600 sterling, for the support of the mission and 
other collateral purposes. William and Mary Waters, lately 
slaves — he a black-smith — she a pedlar — have saved £100 
sterling, since 8th Month, (August,) 1838, and are subscribing 
£10 per annum, to the cause of missions ! 

3rd Month (March) 12th, 1840. After calling on the Wes- 
leyan Missionaries, and endeavoring (I hope with success) to 
reconcile a difference which, from a peculiar circumstance, had 
arisen between them and the Baptists, we set off on our 
journey to Brownstown — an easy road, as we were told — only 
eighteen miles from St. Anne's Bay. The first half of the route 
lay by the sea side, through a rich plain, which we found 
under prosperous sugar cultivation. Neither the well-clad and 
well-cleared fields of cane, nor the neat buildings on the 
successive estates, indicated any thing of that ruin which 
some persons hud so busily predicted for Jamaica — but just the 
contraiy. On the sides of the road, were neat hedges over- run 
with several kinds of convolvulus in full bloom. After 
travellmg several miles, we turned away from the sea, (as we 
supposed, according to direction) and ascended a long steep 
hill to our left, covered with pimento trees, forming what 
is called a pimento walk. The beauty of these pimento 
trees is great, something lilce the orange tree, but much 
loftier ; the bark bare, and looking as if it had been peeled 



102 JAMAICA. 

of its outer coat, the leaf dark, glossy, and of an aromatic 
smell. The produce is the berry called all-spice^ which 
finds at present, a veiy low market, and the cultivation of it 
pays badly. As we quietly proceeded on foot up the steep 
ascent, and through these fragrant bowers, the sceneiy became 
very alluring — Cardiff Hall, an old planting settlement, appear- 
ing on a green penn (or park) below, a large grove of cocoa- 
nuts hard by, and the sea, of bright blue, in the distance. We 
were told that we should find Brownstown, where a meeting 
was appointed for the evening, at the top of this mountain ; 
but to our dismay, when we reached the summit, we found 
ourselves at an estate called Antrim, on the wrong road, and 
eight miles from the place of our destination ; the mountain 
road between the two places, was considered to be impassable 
for carriages. The black people of the village crowded round 
us, proffered their aid, and refreshed us with draughts of 
cocoa-nut milk. Many of them were just setting off, though 
from so great a distance, for the meeting ; for indeed they are a 
zealous, church-going people. John Candler and myself, 
escorted by two of them, went forward on poneys which they 
kindly lent us ; and the rest of the company moved slowly on 
behind, with the carriages, assisted by a band of these willing- 
hearted people. Nothing could exceed their kindness and at- 
tention ; and by pulling back the wheels in descending, and 
pushing them forward in ascending, some of those steep heights, 
they enabled our drivers at length, to accomplish the journey, 
which otherwise they could not possibly have done. " Don't 
fret, massa," said one of those zealous helpers, to a friend in 
the company— "all will come right at last." "Will massa 
have a little wine '?" said a black woman, in a cottage by the 
road-side, to the same friend, when he called to ask for a draught 
of water. The wine, sure enough, was at hand, and was 
found to be timely, in a moment of great fatigue. Several 
empty bottles, in one corner of the room, showed that this cot- 
tager was accustomed, so to evince her hospitality. Our friend 



JAMAICA. 103 

offered payment, wliicli was politely refused — " thanks," said 
the woman, "are better than money." 

We were in the midst of a Christain people ; and as my 
companion and 1 rode on through a country of wild and 
enchanting beauty, we overtook Hocks of the peasantry, who had 
just finished their day's work, wending their way to our meeting. 
It Wiis a touching sight, coupled as it was with the recollec- 
tion of the cruelties which many of them had once suffered ; 
now without exception, they seemed respectable and happy. 
Brownstown is a free settlement and countiy town, rapidly 
improved — and improving — since freedom, the land in it, 
already quadrupled in value. We were hospitably received 
by our worthy friends, John Clark the missionaiy, and his wife, 
and held an interesting and affecting meeting for worship, with 
about twelve hundred black people. After it was concluded, my 
companion delivered to them, a written message sent from the 
venerable Thomas Clarkson, now in extreme old age, to the pea- 
santry of Jamaica ; expressing his Christian love and sympathy, 
and advising the continuance of that patient and orderly conduct 
by which they have hitherto been so remarkably characterised. 
The message was received with respect, and called forth a 
warm response. The work of religion, going on in this district, 
is remarkable — a multitude have been added to the church, 
since the date of full freedom, and hundreds 'of others, are 
awakened to anxiety respecting their souls. This delightful 
village is nested among luxuriant hills. Every thing in it 
seemed to be thriving, Avith the single exception of a dark- 
looldng little building, now forsaken and useless. This was 
the dungeon and public tiogging place, during slavery and the 
apprenticeship. Our friends assured us, that these scenes of 
cruelty, generally took place once in the week ; and vain were 
their attempts to escape from the horrid sound of the cries of the 
sufferers. Now under the banner of freedom, the desert of 
thorns and briars, may truly be said to be blossoming lilce the 
" rose of Sharon." We heard excellent accounts of the work- 



104 



JAMAICA. 



ing of the people on the estates in this neighborhood, except 
only where they have been oppressed by the misappUcation of 
the rent system. 

On leaving the place, the next morning, we called on the 
Wesleyan minister, and met at his door a large wedding com- 
pany, all of them, I believe, laboring people ; but handsomely 
attired, and on horseback. It was a scene which could not be 
matched among the peasantiy of Great Britain. 

We then drove through the fertile sugar-plains of the parish 
of Trelawney, to Falmouth, a considerable town on the sea 
coast, and the seat of the useful labors of William Knibb, the 
Baptist minister, so well known as the staunch and effective 
friend of the negro population. He was now absent on a 
legation to the Anti-slavery Society, and the Baptists, in 
England, in company with one of his black brethren ; and the 
attachment of the people to their minister, as well as their own 
prosperous condition, had been amply evinced by their raising a 
voluntary subscription of £1,000 currency (near three thou- 
sand dollars) to defray the expenses of the mission. On our way, 
we passed through another prosperous village called Stewarts- 
town, which contains a large store, a well attended church, 
Methodist and Baptist chapels, schools of course, and a large 
number of freehold settlements, occupied by the negroes. At 
Barnstaple, a sugar estate on the road, where we stopped to 
refresh ourselves and our horses, the overseer informed us that 
he had one hundred people well at work, on wages from one 
shilling sterling to half a dollar per day — " no complaints, all 
comfortable." 

In our friend William Knibb's absence, we were kindly re- 
ceived at his house, and met a warm welcome from " Brother 
Ward," his able representative. Afterwards we met seven or 
eight hundred of the people in the chapel, who seemed to 
lend a willing ear, to the plain advice which we ventured to 
ofler them on several practical points. — the cultivation of the 
soil, the education of their children, the daily use of the Holy 
Scriptures, the duties of mothers, &,c. The next morning we 



JAMAICA. 106 

visited lli(3 juil and house of correction for the pnrisli of Trolfiw- 
ney, and ibund only two prisoners in the former, and one in the 
latter — ^a white sailor. During slavery and the api)rciitireship, 
they sometimes had from eighty to one hundred rni.serahle in- 
mates, in this house of correction. We also mado agreeable 
calls on the Scottish and Wesleyan ministers, and on the cler- 
gyman of the parish church, who has a day school under his 
care, of three hundred children. Thus under different admin- 
istrations, the good work of Christian education, is making rapid 
progress. Much that we saw and heard during our journey, in 
the parishes of St. Anne's and Trelawney, was of an encouraging 
nature. The sugar cultivation was evidently going on sub- 
stantially well ; temporary difficulties had been surmounted, 
and so far as we could learn, nothing but a few lingerins: at- 
tempts, to co7?ipel labor, (or in other words to retain slavery 
under a new form) interrupted the prosperity of these fertile 
districts. A better understanding had begun to prevail among the 
parties ; and these parishes were affording abundant evidence, 
that wherever liberty is left alone, thrift goes along with it, 
to the comfort and benefit of all classes of the people. We 
observed one large merchantman waiting for sugar, at St. Anne's 
Bay, three at Falmouth, and about twelve at Montego Bay. 

A pleasant drive of twenty-two miles, by the sea coast, brought 
us on Seventh-day (Saturday) evening, to the last mentioned 
place. It is a town of about 12,000 inhabitants, situated at the 
loot of wooded hills, and at the inland extremity of a very 
beautiful bay — quite a good-looking place, and like other towns 
in Jamaica, rapidly improving. We met with the kindest re- 
ception from the wife of our friend, Thomas Burchell, the Bap- 
tist missionary. He was himself absent at a countiy station, 
Imt his people flocked about us, and seemed overjoyed at our 
arrival. Although the notice of our coming had been short, 
and no service had previously been expected, nearly 3,000 of 
them assembled at the chapel, the next morning, with scarcely 
any mixture of white persons, and displayed a seriousness and 
propriety of demeanor, which reflected much credit both on 



106 JAMAICA. 

themselves, and on their absent pastor. In the afternoon, I was 
accompanied by Walter Finlayson and Levi Lewin, two of the 
magistrates, on visits to the house of correction, and jail, for 
the county of Cornwall — that is, for about one third of the 
isjand. The jail was nearly empty. In the house of correction, 
I found about fifty offenders, in a very insecure prison, without 
classification, and I fear greatly neglected, as to religious care 
or culture. Wretched lunatics were mingled with the other 
inmates of this sad abode. The prisoners, in each place, listened 
with attention to a short address, delivered to them on the occa- 
sion, and I trust they will claim the increased Christain care, of 
pious individuals living in their own neighborhood. After an 
overflowing assembly for worship, in the evening, at the Metho- 
dist meeting house, the day ended in peace. 

I am, &c., (fcc. 



LETTER X 



JAMAICA. 



Providence, R. J., Sixth-month {June) 2Ath, 1840. 

Mt dsar Friend, 

After the interruption of nearly two weeks, occasioned by the 
attendance of one of our Yearly Meetings and other circum- 
stances, I resume the thread of my story — requesting thy farther 
kind attention to the diary of our tour in Jamaica. 

On the lOth of the Third-month (March) we left Montego 
Bay, early in the morning, and drove eight miles, to Mount 
Carey, an inland Baptist station, and the country residence of 
our friend, Tliomas Burchell, who met us there, from a third of 
his stations, at breakfast. Our road lay first, along a fertile 
valley, and next, up the brow of a mountain, from which we 
obtained delightful prospects of the sea, with several low green 
islands, the town and harbor of Montego Bay, the shipping, and 
the distant hills — the whole scene bespeaking, at once, the 
bounty of nature, and the essential prosperity of the land. The 
parish of " St. James" was the principal seat of the " rebellion," 
(as it was falsely called,) shortly before emancipation. The 
long continued acts of provocation and oppression, to which the 
negroes had been exposed, drove them, at last, into a state 
of irritation, not without instances, I presume, of crime and 
violence ; but there can be no doubt that the flame was at once 
fanned, and exaggerated, by a violent party, on the other side, 
with a view to impede the march of approaching freedom. 
Nevertheless, freedom has come ; find in this once agitated 
parish, virulence and confusion have given place to quietness, 
order, and gradually progressive improvement. 

We continued for two days, at Mount Carey, enjoying botli 



108 JAMAICA. 

ease and abundance, undeT the peaceful roof of our hospitable 
friend. Thomas Burchell is a gentleman, and a Christian, a 
man of modesty, integrity, and talent, and his history affords a 
remarkable example of the truth of that divine declaration, 
" Him that honoreth me, I will honor." He was once insult- 
ed, persecuted, and imprisoned. Now, he is greatly at his 
ease, enjoying a delightful countiy residence, and exercising 
over many thousands of the peasantry, at his various stations, 
an influence incomparably greater than that of any other indi- 
vidual in the vicinity. During an intimate association with 
him and his family for two or three days, we could not per- 
ceive the smallest tendency, in his mind, to any political abuse 
of his well-earned ascendancy ; and from our own observation, 
we are able to declare that while he is the firm friend of the 
laborer, he is anxious to promote, by every means in his power, 
the fair interest of the planter. The- congregation of country 
people, at Mount Carey, is large, and the day school well at- 
tended and admirably conducted. 

The appearance, dress, and deportment of the people, as- 
sembled at our large meetings at Montego Bay and Mount 
Carey, afforded us ocular demonstration that we were in 
the midst of a thriving peasantry ; nor can there be the 
least question that this condition of thrift, on their part, is 
mainly the consequence of their working, for wages, on the 
estates of their old masters. The remaining exceptions, in 
this fertile district, to a comfortable understanding between 
the employer and the laborer, are to be traced, as we had every 
reason to believe, to a want of good management on the part of 
attorneys and overseers. But a gradual improvement, even in 
these instances, was taking place ; and indeed the mismanage- 
ment to which we allude belonged in some cases, cliiefly to the 
period of apprenticeship, which left behind it roots of bitterness, 
by no means easy to eradicate. This appears to have been the 
case with some noble properties, near Mount Carey, belonging 
to an English Baron — of course an absentee. We visited the 



JAMAICA. 109 

principal of thorn, on which during the apprenticeship, mncYi 
cruelty had been practised ; and even just before our visit, cer- 
tain provision grounds, improperly occupied (as we were told) 
by some o(" the negroes, hud been, far more improperly, des- 
poiled, by tiie turning in of oxen upon them. We were pleased 
to find that Lord had transmitted to his agents some admi- 
rable written directions — especially with regard to the equitable 
settlement of the questions of rent and wages — which, if fairly 
acted on, will, as we believe, ensure the future prosperity of his 
estates. About one hundred and fifty of his people attended 
our meeting for worship at Mount Carey, and after it was over. 
we entered into a friendly parley with them, with a view of 
impressing upon them their Christian duty, as hired cultivators 
of the soil. They appeared to us a well-conditioned company 
of peasants ; and they gave us a kind and respectful hearing — 
fully acknowledging the fair and benevolent disposition of the 
absent proprietor of the estates. We parted from them with 
the bright hope, that whatsoever remains of misunderstanding 
between them and their employers, will, ere long, be removed, 
and that a tract of land remarkable for natural beauty and fer- 
tility, will soon be equally distinguished by the profit which it 
yields to its owner, and by the peace and comfort of all who 
dwell on it. 

Just such a scene of mutual satisfaction, is " Childermas" es- 
tate, in the same neighborhood, under the care of Matthews, 

a kind and intelligent overseer. Our friend employs one hun- 
dred and twenty laborers, who are working admirably ; he has 
obtained sixty-two hogsheads of sugar from the last crop, and 
is laying the foundation of a largely increased produce. He 
has built his people comfortable cottages, charges them low 
rents, and pays them good wages. There can be no question 
that the proprietor's outlay will soon be abundantly repaid. It 
may, however, be remarked that, in this case, there was evi- 
dently the advantage of a ready capital. It is worthy of more 
than a passing notice, that the constant tendency of slavery 

was to diminish capital ; and now that it is exchanged for free- 

10 



110 JAMAICA. 

dom, the want of labor, on many properties, is obviously to be 
traced merely to the want of money to pay for it. This evil 
will be rectified by the gradual influence of freedom ; as has 
already been so remarkably the case in Antigua. A third es- 
tate, near Mount Carey, called " Anchovy," was given up, as a 
bad concern, at the first date of freedom, but is now resumed, 
and by virtue of free labor, has already nearly recovered itself. 

Third-month (March) 18th Early in the morning we left 

Mount Carey, and in the company of our friend Burchell, drove, 
through a cultivated country, to Betheltown, another station, 
where the Baptists have a large congregation, four hundred 
and fifty members of their church, and a school for one hundred 
and fifty children. The neighboring village, consisting of little 
freehold settlements, occupied and well cultivated by the ne- 
groes, had proved to many of them a place of refuge from 
oppression, and now presented a scene of quiet prosperity. It 
was here that we first observed the cultivation of ginger. The 
plant has long grass-like leaves, and the root which forms the 
article of commerce, is prepared for sale, by the simple process 
of cleaning, and drying in the sun. It certainly affords the 
negro cultivator a short and easy method of realising money. 
We now took our leave of Thomas Burchell ; and, provided 
with one of his obliging people, as a guide, pursued our jour- 
ney over rough narrow roads, until we arrived at Kepp, a ro- 
mantic pcnn or park, in the parish of " St. Elizabeth" — the 
estate of George Marcey, one of the most respectable resident 
proprietors of the island. He is a pious member of the Church 
of England, and although declining in years, devotes his time 
and talents to the gratuitous education of nearly a hundred 
negro children. Though we were total strangers — five in 
number, with six horses, and three drivers — he received us 
with cordial good-will, gave us an excellent dinner, summoned 
the people, in the neighborhood, to a religious meeting in the 
evening, lodged us most comfortably, and dismissed us, the next 
morning after breakfast, with as hearty a blessing as any one 
could bestow. He seemed, however, a good deal discomforted 



JAMAICA. Ill 

by tlie difficulty whirh was experienced, in tliat neighborhood, 
in procnrincf labor ; and although he acknowledged that a gra- 
dual improvement was taking place, complained rather bitterly 
of the state of things around him. On subsequent inquiry, we 
had reason to believe that the difficulty in those parts, jis in 
other places, was very much connected with extravagant 
charjres of rent. That our friend himself was somewhat too 
prone to discouragement, appeared from a circumstance of 
which he informed us, — that a few years since, he had sold 

a certain sugar estate, called G , for the trifling sum of 

£1500. '• And what dost thou suppose to be the value of 
that property noiv, friend Marcey ?" said one of our company. 
'^ Ten thousand jpounds" was his immediate reply — an asser- 
tion which afforded us a fresh and palpable evidence, that not- 
withstanding occasional and temporary difficulties, Jamaica is 
on the road to solid prosperity. Another item of information 
with which this gentleman favored us, was equally satisfactory. 
Few persons are so well acquainted, as he is, with the people 
in the neighborhood, and we were therefore glad to hear him 
say, that their numbers, under freedom, are increasing, in a 
geometrical ratio. Compare this statement, with the v/ell- 
known fact, that, under slavery, the population of Jamaica was 
constantly decreasing. The old system was a killing one — 
the new system, when fairly carried out, is in its very nature, 
life-giving. 

3rd Month (March) 19th. We parted from our friend Marcey 
with feelings of grateful respect, after which, a long and some- 
what tedious stage, brought us to Lacovia, a very small village, 
containing a church and two taverns. It had once been the 
'• capital" of St. Elizabeth, but the court house having been 
lately opened at Black-river, on the coast, Lacovia seemed much 
deserted. We were, however, glad to make the acquaintance 
of the valuable curate of the district, who gave us a generally 
favorable account of the state of the population ; and altliough 
our accommodations at the tavern, were miserable enough, we 
concluded to continue there over the night, in order to hold 



112 JAMAICA. 

a meeting with the people, in the evening. They assembled on 
the occasion, in large numbers, in the presence of their minister, 
and behaved with the utmost attention and decoi-um. In the 
course of our drive, this day, we observed, as we often did at 
other times, a large number of negroes industriously at work on 
the roads ; they were each of them earning, four bits, or thirty- 
three cents per day — the usual day's wages of Jamaica. The 
circumstance may appear scarcely worthy of notice ; it is 
nevertheless important ; for in the first place it shows that labor 
is to be easily obtained, even in St. Elizabeth, at a very mod- 
erate expense ; and secondly, the numerous exertions which 
are now making in Jamaica for the improvement of the high- 
ways, are a sure sign of a rising, rather than a falling, state. 

The following day was one which will long be impressed on 
our recollection. We were aware that in attempting to cross 
the island, in this direction, it was necessary for us to surmount 
some one tremendous hill. Two or three routes were propo- 
sed to us, but by all accounts, it was quite problematical whether, 
with four-wheel carriages and jaded horses, it would be possible 
for us to overcome the difficulty. As the alternative was the loss 
of many days in measuring back our long journey, Vv^e were some- 
what anxious respecting the result ; but we were soon relieved 
by the kindness of our friend Ricketts, the stipendiary ma- 
gistrate, who called at our tavern, requested us to visit the 
estate which he now manages for a relative in England, and 
promised that oiu' carriages should be dragged up the inevitable 
mountain road, by force of eight 'pair of oxen. Early in the 
morning, one of his laborers arrived on horseback to guide us, 
six miles, to Bartons. We found the place smiling with pros- 
perity ; the crops excellent, the works in good order, and the 
people diligently and cheerfully laboring for moderate wages. 
The history of this estate throws great light on the practical 
operation of freedom. During the last year of apprenticeship, 
its produce was 100 hhds. of sugar, and 25 puncheons of rum — 
expense of management, £2000 — profit, small in proportion — I 
believe, a cipher. At the date of full freedom, the works. 



JAMAICA. 1 13 

ceased, and nothing was done upon the property, for many- 
weeks ; the people were culled rogues and vagabonds. It was 
then undertaken by our friend Ricketts, who, in his first year, 
notwithstanding this deplorable condition of things, realised 
70, or (taking tlie same measure as before) 82 hhds. of sugar, 
and 29 puncheons of rum — planted 18 acres fresh — expended 
only £1,090 (about half the amount of the former year) — and 
obtained a clear profit for his employer of £1,200. He now 
expects to increase his produce of sugar by twenty hogsheads 
annually. Who shall say that freedom, when fairly tried, fails 
to work well in Jamaica ? 

After breakfast, oiir friend mounted two of us on horse- 
back, and the whole company proceeded, several miles, through 
a rich valley, to the foot of the mountain. We made two 
calls by Ihc way — one at a beautiful penn, in excellent or- 
der, belonging to W. F. who, with other member's of his 
family, owns 10,000 acres of this fine land. He gave us 
a good account of the 1000 negroes on his estate. Sometime 
ago, conflicts had arisen with them on the subject of rent ; but 
now, matters were arranged on a right footing, and the peasantry 
were working well, for moderate but regular wages. Our next 
visit was to a Moravian settlement, which was diflliising a 
useful influence all round. We found there, a German pastor, 
and a pretty good school ; two elderly negro sisters seemed 
to take great pleasure in presenting us with some fine shaddocks. 
They steadily refused all payment — declaring that "thanks 
were better." 

Steep and rocky as was our mountain road, and of several 
miles in length, and impossable as it would have been for our 
jaded horses to have surmounted it with the carriages, the 
oxen performed the task for us with great facility ; and 
four pair were found sufficient for the purpose. For our- 
selves, we toiled up on foot, and were well repaid for the 
exertion, partly by the delightful scenery, and partly by the 
company of several intelligent persons who happened to over-" 
take us. One of them was a young physician in large practice, 

10* 



114 JAMAICA. 

and well acquainted with the neighborhood — we were now 
entering the parish of Manchester, Perfectly did he confirm 
our previous conclusions — namely, that wherever freedom is 
thwarted by attempts to compel labor, there are to be found 
decay and desertion ; and that on the contrary, wherever the 
new system has its full scope, there all is prosperity. Evi- 
dences of this fact, more and more abounded as we proceeded 
on our journey. Among the persons who overtook us on the 
road, were two coffee planters — resident proprietors. One of 
them had been acting on the compulsory system, through the 
medium of rent ; he was full of complaints ; and talked of 
renouncing the raising of coflee altogether. The other in- 
treated us to come and visit his estate, which we were assured, 
Vi^as a most picturesque spot, amidst those verdant mountains. 
We were obliged to resist the temptation, but were pleased to 
learn, that his property was managed on sounder principles, and 
was in a prosperous condition. I must do the former in- 
dividual the justice to say, that he listened, in the most friendly 
manner, to the practical advices, as to the management of his 
peasantry, which we ventured freely to impart to him. 

When at length we had arrived at the summit of the moun- 
tain, we complied with the polite request of two ladies who 
had overtaken us on horseback, and called at the house of one 
of the principal coffee-planters of the vicinity. He gave us the 
usual kind reception ; but it was evident, at first sight, that he had 
been disappointed and mortified. After a short conversation, on 
indifferent topics, we took our leave. He followed us to his gate 
and began, at last, to pour out his troubles. He had been, in 
days past, a warm friend to the abolition of slavery, but now 
many of his negroes refused to work for him. " Do tell me" said 
I, " why they will not work for thee ; hast thou been making any 
attempts, since freedom, to compel their labor ?" I have used 
" a little gentle compulsion," was his reply. The cause of the 
difficulty was now evident, to my own apprehension ; and I 
afterwards found, that the questions of rent and labor, had been 
iQteriningled, on his property, and that the former had been 



JAMAICA. 116 

exacted, on an arbitrary scale, in order to comprd the latter. 
The peasantry of Jamaica are much too cognizant of their own 
rights and interests, long to submit to this new form of slavery. 
Fondly attached as they are to their humble homes, they avail 
tlicrnselves of cvcny opportunity of obtaining a better lot, and 
gradually desert the estates on wliicli they are unfairly treated. 

Weary as we already were with our journey, we had many 
miles yet to travel, over a rugged and dilTicult road, before we 
could reach a well known peim, where we intended, though 
strangers, to ask for a lodging. We were now on a high elevation 
above the level of the sea ; and the face of the country was 
covered chiefly with woods and pasture land. We looked in 
vain for some of those flocks of green parrots, which frequent 
this district, and supply the inhabitants, as we were told, with 
excellent pies ; but the luxuriance of vegetable nature was the 
constant subject of our admiration. 

The highlands of Jamaica are adorned with as great a variety 
of beautiful ferns, as can probably be found in any part of the 
world ; also with many kinds of palm and aloe. The thatch 
palm, a plant of low stature, with handsome fan-like leaves, is 
frequent in the woods, and is used, by the negroes, as a cover 
for the roofs of their cottages. Amongst the aloes (as I presume) 
we observed a magnificent plant, with a lorge spike of purple 
flowers and a pink calix, which is there called, the wild pine- 
apple. The vast creepers which embrace, and sometimes even 
destroy, the trees, are most abundant. One species is remarka- 
ble for its juicy stem, which, in the midst of surroundino- 
drought and heat, is said to aflford the traveller or the laborer, 
many a refreshing draught of wholesome water. Our kind 
friend, the young physician— a new but valuable acquaintance — 
led the way ; and just as the evening was closing upon us, con- 
ducted us in safety to the wild and romantic spot, where we in- 
tended to lodge. He aftenvards presented me with a perfect 
specimen of a fossil conk-shell (I believe, of the common species,, 
still found on the coast) M'hich he had dug out of limestone, at 
an elevation of two thousand feet above the level of the sea. 



116 JAMAICA. 

We were now come to the residence of an enlightened plan- 
ter and attorney, who has the care of twenty coffee-estates, and 
whom — not having the liberty to name him — I shall call A. B. 
He was not at home ; but his servants supplied us with a com- 
fortable meal, and good lodging ; and greatly were we pleased 
and satisfied, in having found a resting place, in the midst of 
delightful scenery, and a happy contented population. 

A. B. joined us the next morning ; and we also received visits 
from two individuals, the benefit of whose acquaintance, we had 
particularly desired — Dr. Davy, the Gustos of Manchester, and 
Dr. Stewart, a clergyman of enlightened views and extensive 
influence — I believe the stipendiaiy curate of the parish. Nothing 
can be more reasonable and effective, than the s^^tem adopted by 
A. B. as well as by Dr. Davy, in the management of the estates 
under their care. Both these gentlemen are said to have been, in 
former times, much opposed to emancipation ; but they have 
been wise enough to sail with the stream, and to give free- 
dom a fair, confiding, trial. They entirely separate the ques- 
tions of rent and labor — charging rent according to the money- 
value of the tenements, and payable quarterly ; and on the 
other hand, giving fair but moderate wages, which they constant- 
ly pay weekly, and in cash. They adopt the system of job or 
piece work, by which the stimulus of wages is vastly increased. 
They build comfortable cottages for their laborers, and let or 
sell to them, plots of ground, so as to render them absolutely 
independent. Thus they secure an ample home population ; 
and for this population, education and religious" instniction are 
provided on a large scale. 

The consequence is that the people are well at work on the 
properties under their respective care ; the employers are satis- 
fied, the laborers contented and orderly, the whole district in 
a state of comfort and prosperity. " I came to this district," 
says Dr. Stewart, in a letter which I have since received from 
him, " in April 1834. There was one place of public worship, 
not one third filled. It contained 1250 square feet then. It has 
since been twice enlarged, and now contains 2427 square feet, 



JAMAICA. 117 

and is not half large enough for the congregation. I have also, 
in the same district, another place of worsliip, capable of hold- 
ing GOO people, which is regularly attended every Sunday, and 
is always full. The average attendance has increased from 
300 to 1600, at least. The communicants have increased from 
27 to 289. In 1835, the Bishop confirmed, in my chapel, 47. 
In 1840, he confu'med, in the same place, 635. During the 
same period, two very large Moravian chapels have been erected 
in the same district. In the six last years of slavery, the num- 
ber of marriages, at this church, was 421 ; in five years and a 
half of partial or entire freedom, 2014. When I came here, I 
found two adult negroes who could read a little, but there was 
no school in the parish ; now more than 100 adults can read, 
and almost all the rising generation ; and schools are rapidly 
increasing." 

This delightful report of the rapid progress, under the ban- 
ner of freedom, of education, morals, and religion, perfectly cor- 
responds with Dr. Davy's account of the decrease of crime. 
" The parish over which I preside," said he, " contains 22,000 
souls. There is no crime in it now. The jail has only three 
inmates — one old convict, and two persons for an assault." 

Now I am sure, my dear friend, thou wilt agree with me in 
the sentiment, that even if emancipation had for ever brought 
to a close the cultivation of coffee, in the parish of Manchester, 
such a circumstance, however undesirable, would have been as 
nothing in the scale, when weighed against these rich blessings, 
social, moral, and religious. Had all the planters in the district 
been deprived of their profits, it would still have been a small 
point, in the comparison. But happily, the prosperity of the 
proprietors, is linked by an indissoluble tie, to that course of 
justice, mercy, and wisdom, which insures the well being of the 
population at large. The experience of A. B. and of his friend 
Dr. Davy, affords the clearest evidence, that a fair arrangement 
with the laborers, on the ground of full and unrestricted free- 
dom, answers for the liocket. 



118 



JAMAICA. 



Ill the first place, they have discovered, that a good rental 
may be obtained from the laboring population, under the 
character of an independent tenantry, to the great advantage of 
the proprietor. A. B. showed me a rent-roll of £1270 per 
annum, (whether currency or sterling, I know not) which sum 
he was levying, on a few of the estates under his care, without 
the smallest difficulty to himself, or uneasiness on the part of 
the people. And secondly, they have ascertained the fact, that 
a freeman, under the stimulus of wages (paid on job-work 
especially,) will do a great deal more work, than a slave under 
the impulse of the whip ; and therefore that work on a small 
scale— as in some particular job — or work on a large scale, as 
in the whole conducting of an estate — may be obtained at a 
much cheaper rate now, than it was under the old system. 
The argument, when fully stated, stands thus : the population 
being in both cases the same, a larger proportion of it becomes 
operative in freedom than in slavery ; and of the operative part, 
each individual, does more work, in freedom than in slavery — 
and thus more labor is thrown upon the market — and of course 
labor becomes cheaper — in freedom- than in slavery. But this 
truth, with A. B. and his friends, is matter not of argument 
merely, but of account. The expense of working one of A. B's. 
estates in 1837, during the apprenticeship, was £2,400 cur- 
rency ; in 1839, since freedom, it was only .£1,200 curren- 
cy — exactly one half. In this case the produce was somewhat 
diminished, but the profit was increased. 

This is a point worthy of peculiar attention. The prosperity 
of the planters in Jamaica, must not be measured by the 
mere amount of the produce of sugar or coffee, as compared 
with the time of slavery. Even where produce is diminished, 
profit will be increased — if freedom be fairly tried — by the 
saving of expense. " I had rather make sixty tierces of cofl^'ee," 
said A. B. "under freedom, than one hundred and twenty 
under slavery — such is the saving of expense, that I make a 
better profit by it — nevertheless^ I mean to make one hundred 
and twenty^ as before!'^ 



JAMAICA. 119 

" Do you see that excellent new stone wull round the field 
below us ?" said the younsj physician to me, as w<; stood at A. 
B.'s I'ront door, surveying the delightful sccneiy — " That wall 
could scarcely have been built at all, under slavery, or the ap- 
prenticeship ; the necessary labor could not then liave been 
hired at loss than £5 currency, or about $13, per chain. Under 
freedom, it cost only from $3 50 to !$4 per chain — not ono-tliird 
of the amount. Still more remarkable is the fact, that the whole 
of it was built, under the stimulus of job-work, by an invalid - 
negro, who, during slavery, had been given up to total inaction." 
This was the substance of our conversation — the information 
was afterwards fully confirmed by the proprietor. Such was 
the fresh blood infused into the veins of this decrepid person, 
by the genial hand of freedom, that he had been redeemed from 
absolute uselessness — had executed a noble work — had greatly 
improved his master's property — and finally, had realised for 
liimself, a handsome sum of money. This single fact is admi- 
rably and undeniably illustrative of the principles of the case ; 
and, for that purpose, is as good as a thousand. 

A few more particulars, however, which bear on the same 
point, may be interesting and satisfactory. They are contained 
in the letter, already cited, from my friend. Dr. Stewart, dated 
« Mandeville, Jamaica, March 28, 1840." " With regard to the 
comparative expense of free and slave labor," says he, "I give 
you the result of my experience in this parish. Wherever rent 
and labor have not been mingled together, prices have been 
reduced, in the picking and curing of coffee, from one-third, to 
one-half; from £10 per tierce, to from £5 to £6 10. Grass 
land is cleaned at one-third of the former expense. A penn in 
this neighborhood, when cleaned in slavery, cost, simply for the 
contingencies of the negroes, £80. The first cleaning, by free 
labor — far better done — cost less than £24. Stone walls, the 
only fence used in this rocky district, cost £5. 6. 8 ; the lowest 
£4, under slavery. The usual price now is £1 ; the highest, 
£1. 6. 8. To prepare and plant an acre of woodland in coflTee, 
cost, twenty years ago, £20 ; up to the end of slaver^'-, it never 



J, 

120 JAMAICA. 

fell below £16. In apprenticeship it cost from £10. 13. 4, to 
£12. Now, it never exceeds £5. 6. 8. I myself have done it 
this year for £5 ; that is the general price all through the dis- 
trict. In 1833, I hired servants at from £16 to £25 per 
annum. In 1838, 1839, and since, I have been able to obtain 
the same description of servants, vastly improved in all their 
qualifications, for from £8 to £10 per annum." These are 
pound, shilling, and pence, calculations ; but they develop 
mighty principles — they detect the springs of human action— 
they prove the vast superiority of moral inducement, to physi- 
cal force, in the production of the useful efforts of mankind. 
It is the perfect settlement of the old controversy between 
wages and the whip ! 

" I know the case of a property," observes Dr. Stewart again, 
" on which there were one hundred and twenty-five slaves — the 
expense amounting (at £5 per annum, for the maintenance of 
each slave) to £625. The labor account for the first year of 
freedomj deducting rents, was only about £220, leaving a ba- 
lance in favor of freedom, of £400. More improvement had 
been made on the property, than for many years past, with a 
prospect of an increasing extent of cultivation. On a second 
property, the slave and apprenticeship expenses averaged £2400; 
the labor account, for the first year of freedom, was less than 
£850. On a third estate, the year's expense, under slavery, 
was £1480 ; under apprenticeship, £1050 ; under freedom, 
£637. On a fourth, the reduction is from £1100 to £770." 

Allowing a little time for the calming of apprehensions, and 
the development of truth, such results must infallibly find 
their way into the value of landed property. That they have 
already done so, in Jamaica, to a considerable extent, is unde- 
niable. A person in the parish of Manchester, who never held 
slaves, availing himself of the general alarm, bought a property, 
at the date of full freedom, for £1000 currency. The free 
laborers work the better for him, because he never was a slave^ 
holder. He cleared the whole purchase money, besides his 
expenses, the first year. He would, of course, make a misera- 






JAMAICA. 121 

ble bargain, wero he now to sell the property for five times the 
amount, i. o. for £5,000. 

There can be no better testimony in Jamaica, on this subject, 
than that of A. B. He assured me that landed property in that 
island now, without the slaves, is worth its full former value, in- 
clnding tlie slaves, diirinf^ the times of depression, which preced- 
ed the act of emancipation. It has found its bottom, has risen, 
and is still gradually rising-. "I believe in my conscience," 
says Dr. Stewart, " that property in Jamaica, without the slaves, 
is as valuable as it formerly was, with them. I believe its value 
would be doubled, by sincerely turning away from all relics of 
slavery, to the honest free working of a free system." 

Third-month (March) 21st. After a comfortable meal, called 
the " second breakfast," we parted from our intelligent friends 

at Penn, and again assailed the rough hilly roads. At 

one spot, we were obliged to use all our force in pushing our 
carriages up a hill as steep as the roof of a house ; but the con- 
stant succession of fine scenes, repaid all our toil. In the even- 
ing, we reached the neat little village of Mandeville, the capital 
of the parish of Manchester, which is at the height of 2,500 
feet above the level of the sea. There, in the midst of green 
woods and pastures, we found an inn. which, for comlbrtable 
fare and accommodation, would do credit to England or Ame- 
rica, and were glad to take up our abode in it, for the following 
day — the first of the week. During the course of our excursion, 
we had received help and information from the Baptists, the 
Methodists, the Moravians, and the ministers and members of 
the Church of England. At Mandeville, we found ourselves 
among the Independents or Congregationalists. An excellent 
missionary station has been formed there, under the London 
Mi-isionary Society, a large chapel, eLTective school, <kc. hi this 
chapel we held our public meetinacs for worship, morning and 
evening. Great were the numbers, and still greater, the love 
and cordiality of the negroes who attended on the occasion. 
A prosperous, well-behaved peasantiy, they certainly are — 

11 



122 JAMAICA. 

a large number of them came to the meeting, o7i horseback ! 
To us it was a happiness, of no common order, again to unite 
with our brethren and sisters of the African race, in drinking 
at the fountain of the waters of hfe. But I must bring this 
long letter to a conclusion. 

I am &,c. (fcc. 



LETTER XI 



JAMAICA. 



Providence, R. 1. Sixth-month [June) 26th, 1840. 

My DEAn Friend, 

Early in the morning of Third-month (March) the 23d, we 
quitted Mandeville on our journey back to Spanishtown. We 
had been previously introduced to W. D. a planter of high char- 
acter in the neighborhood. He was once an irreligious man, 
and warm on the side of slavery. Now he has become the de- 
vout Christian, and conducts his estates to the comfort of his 
people, and greatly to his own ease and profit, on the liberal and 
enlightened system, adopted by A. B. and Dr. Davy. He is 
selling little freeholds, within his own property, to the laborers, 
with admirable effect. They are working well for him ; and 
liis crops are abundant. He grows rich upon freedom, and ex- 
pends his surplus revenue, in promoting the cause of religion 
and philanthropy. 

As I was riding down the Mandeville hills, on a hackney 
lent me by the missionaries, enjoying the grandeur of nature 
and the beauties of cultivation, I overtook a good-looking young 
negro, handsomely attired, and mounted on a poney of his own. 
He was a laborer on Richmond park coffee-estate, in the parish 
of Clarendon, paid half a dollar per week for his rent, was able 
to earn four dollars per week, by piece work ; had paid £10 
sterling for his poney ; kept wine, at times, in his cottage ; had 
gone to Mandeville to obtain his marriage certificate from tlie 
Rector ; and with his young bride, seemed to be in the way of 
as co:iifortable a measure of moderate prosperity, as could easily 
fall to the lot of man. This is one specimen among thousands 
of the irood- working of freedom, in .Tamaica ; but I fear it 



124 



JAMAICA. 



would be easy to draw the reverse picture, and to tell of much 
oppression and exaction, to which this people are still exposed, 
in some parts of the island, " Are the people working well" 
said I to George Wedderley (that was his name) " in the parish 
of Clarendon 7" " Yes, generall^^ ; but on some properties they 
are uncomfortable." "Why so, George ?" — " When a man has 
finished his job, he goes for his money and can't get it. Some- 
times he hires helpers, but can't get his money, and therefore 
can't pay them. The rent is set off against him. Then come 
bad words. The rent is often increased, often doubled." I 
had every reason to give my young informant credit, both for 
shrewdness and veracity. With his own lot he was perfectly 
satisfied. In the course of the same ride, I met with many of 
the peasantry who had attended our meeting, the preceding 
day ; — they seemed overjoyed to see their friends again. One 
woman, in particular, was at a loss to express the multitude of her 
good wishes. As far as I could understand her patois, they 
were, that " sweet massa" might be " well fed on his journey," 
and supplied with " plenty of the Holy Spirit," for his work, in 
the gospel. She appeared to understand ivhat it is that can 
alone adequately qualify any man, for such a service. They 
are surely a people easily susceptible of good impressions ; and 
peculiarly aflfectionate towards those who endeavor to instruct 
them in the way of righteousness. 

We took our breakfast at a tavern, by the road side in the 
village of Porus. This village had sprung up, under freedom, 
and appeared to contain at least a hundred freehold settlements 
belonging to the negro laborers. They had bought their land 
and were still buying it, at the price of from thirteen to twenty 
dollars per acre ; and we were grieved to learn that many of 
them had settled on spots which had alreadj?- become unpro- 
ductive. Thus were their money and labor lost ; but in com- 
mon with their brethren, they were earning wages on the neigh- 
boring estates. Here there is another congregation and school, 
under the London Missionary Society. We were told by the 
missionary that part of his flock had been led off, the day before. 



JAMAICA. 125 

by an ignorant black teacher. There are said to be many such, 
on the island, and we heard a poor account of their character, 
and of the effect which they produce ; but their influence as 
compared with that of the missionaries, is veiy trifling, and as 
education spreads it will, in all probability, entirely cease. 

We were now once more on a level with the sea, and tra- 
versed an uninteresting Savannah, (the name given in Jamaica 
to a flat plain) until we arrived at Four Paths, in Clarendon, 
the place of our destination. There, we met with a cordial re- 
ception from "William Barrett who has a good chapel and school 
under the London Missionary Society. Henry Reid conducts 
another mission establishment, in the place, on behalf of the 
Baptists. Both of them have large congregations, and, like 
true Christian brethren, are heartily united in the work. These 
excellent men had just been found guilty, by a Jamaica jury, of 
assisting in a riotous assembly and assault. The charge had 
reference to an affray, in which some of their people had been 
eno;aged with certain wicked disturbers of their meetings for 
divine worship ; and so conspicuously innocent were our friends, 
that notwithstanding the verdict of the jury, the Court had abstain- 
ed from inflicting any punislmient whatsoever. We were glad, 
at such a time of aflliction, to give them the right hand of Chris- 
tian friendship ; and certainly we can speak well of the orderly 
and devout demeanor of the numerous laborers, who assembled 
that evening, at our re(|uest, in William Barrett's chapel. After 
the meeting for worship was concluded, we complied with the 
Missionary's wishes, in giving the people somxC account of the 
conduct and condition of their brethren, in the islands to the 
windward ; and nothing could exceed their attention, while we 
explained to themliow much the cause of liberty, in other parts 
of the world, depended on tJietr ami continued industry and 
good conduct. The people of the two churches had voluntarily 
paid the whole costs attending the trial of their ministers— a 
liberality, which, under slaveiy, would have been at once un- 
thoifglit of, and impossible. 

We were o-jad to hear tliat the generalit^^ of the sugar estates, 

IV 



126 JAMAICA. 

in this neighborhood, were doing well — many of them affording 
ample evidence that the absence of Oppressive and compulsory 
measures, is followed by prosperity. On one of these estates, 
called "Seven Plantations," a liberal overseer was making eleven 
hogsheads of sugar, weekly, instead of six, the former average 
quantity. Fifty acres of cane were accidentally burnt on this 
property. The negroes came forward, of their own accord, and 
offered to work, for a time, without remuneration, in order to 
make up the loss ! 

Third-month (March) 24th. Our route this day, lay through 
part of the flat but fertile parish of Yere, on the southern coast. 
We were informed that on the First-day, just past, a vast multi- 
tude of people of all colors had assembled on the shore to wit- 
ness a baptism conducted by one of the missionaries ; but all 
was decency and order, on the occasion. The appearance of 
the cane in this district, bespoke a good crop ; much of it had 
already been taken off ; we were told that a difference which 
had lately occurred between the planters and the laborers, on 
the subject of wages, had been satisfactorily adjusted, and that 
the people were now working well. In the afternoon, we arrived 
at the Baptist station at Old Harbor Bay, conducted by Henry C. 
Taylor, who, with his obliging wife, gave us the usual hospita- 
ble reception. The people in the neighborhood were invited 
to a meeting in the evening. Although the notice was short, 
they assembled in large numbers, many of them from a consid- 
erable distance — no slight effort for them to make, after having 
been at work, in the fields, the whole of the day. But we trust 
that they met with their reward ; for there was spread over the 
a.s3embly, that peaceful solemnity, which seemed to indicate that 
the smile of divine loving-kindness was resting on this oncc^ 
persecuted, but now free and happy community. 

We were now within twelve miles of Spanishtown, to which 
place we returned, the next morning. Third-month (March) 
2.5th — our excursion, since we left it, having occupied fifteen 
days. Three of our company went forward to Kingstoi^ in 
ord( r to offer a welcome to our friends from Santa Cruz, who 



JAMAICA. 



127 



wove expected to arrivt>, .-ihoiit this (iiiic, in tlif AVliiiinorf. 
My iViciHl ;iii(l brother in the gospel, Jolin Candler, remained 
with me for the day, at Spanishtown, as we wished to attend 
the Legislature, which was now assembled, and to pay our res- 
pects to some of the principal officers of the government, and 
otlier persons of influence. Two or three of our visits may be 
worthy of a brief notice. 

We first waited on Dr. Lipscombe, the Bishop of Jamaica, 
with whom we were desirous of obtaining some conversation, 
on the subject of popular education. He is a learned and amia- 
ble high-church man, heartily desirous (we fully believe) of 
promoting the moral and religious welfare of the community. 
He received us with much condescension and cordiality, and 
gave us an excellent account of the large increase of schools, 
and general progress of education, under the care of the clergy 
of the Church of England. These schools are at present whol- 
ly gratuitous, and we ventured to suggest to him, that the plan 
of making a small charge for instruction — et> plan which works 
well in the Mico, and other schools — would not only be easily 
borne by the laboring people, but would be the means of in- 
creasing their sense of the value of education. The peasant- 
ry of Jamaica, stand in no need of gratuitous charity ; and 
in all matters of this sort, Ave cannot do them a greater kind- 
ness, than gently to lead them to feel their own wants, and 
to help themselves. Our conversation was concluded by an 
acknowledgment, on the part of the Bishop, which is worthy of 
being recorded in conspicuous characters. He expressly stated, 
that before emancipation, his efforts for the literary and religious 
instruction of the people, had been comparatively useless. His 
arm had been palsied by the influence of slavery. Now, every 
difficulty was removed. While, on the one hand, the negroes 
were manifesting an immensely increasing desire for education, 
alt obstruction to its course, on the part of the white inhabitants, 
had ceased. All parties, under the sway of freedom, were uni- 
ted in the desire, to promote the intellectual ^and moral culture 
of the rising generation. 



128 JAMAICA. 

We next stepped into the House of Assembly, and listened, 
for some time, to rather a lively debate, which, though relating 
to a subject of little comparative interest, would not have done 
discredit, either to Westminster or Washington. One of the 
most animated speakers, was a colored member. There are 
several such in the Assembly ; and some of them are staunch 
supporters of the measures of the home government. Happy 
would it have been for Jamaica, had this been more generally 
the case, with the members of this colonial legislature ; for if 
there is any one circumstance more than another, which en- 
dangers the peace and prosperity of the colony, it is, as we be- 
lieve, the passing of local laws, opposed to the true intent and 
purpose of the act of emancipation. That several such provis- 
ions have been enacted, within the last few months, is undeni- 
able ; so that a period of apparent smooth tranquillity, in the 
house, may possibly prove to have been the seed-time of much 
future mischief and confusion. I would just specify (as a 
memorandum) the Poundage act, the Fisheiy act, the Huckster 
and Pedlar act, the Petty Debt act, the Police act, and, worst 
of all, the Vagrant act. 

I confess that I am far from being fully acquainted with the 
details of these several provisions ; but I know enough of them, 
to have formed the deliberate sentiment, that they require the 
rigorous scrutiny, and faithful check, of the British government. 
The three former laws, now alluded to, are calculated, as I be- 
lieve, to interfere with those pursuits and profits of the laboring 
people, which are independent of the cultivation of the staple 
articles, but which are nevertheless legitimate and highly desir- 
able, for their own benefit, and that of the community at large. 
If so, the policy on which they are founded, is narrow indeed. 
The petty debt act, afTords tremendous facilities to that oppres- 
sive system of penal and fictitious rents, which is now the very 
bane of Jamaica. A police, anned with deadly weapons, is al- 
ways, to say the least of it, a dangerous expedient ; and in 
country districts where there is confessedly scarcely any crime, 
it can be regarded only as a needless source of irritation and 



JAMAICA. 129 

alarm. Too soon may it also become an iiislnimont of oppres- 
sion and cruelty. Finally, in a counlry wiien; there is scarcely 
to be found an instance of real vagabondism, but where laborers 
are often compelled to leave their homes, in search of new loca- 
tions, one cannot but be alarmed at the tendency of a law, which 
sul)jects every poor fellow who may be found sleeping under a 
hedge, or in an out housC; by tlie road side, to a long term of 
imprisonment, with hard labor in a penal gang ! These things 
ought not so to be. 

At the hour appointed for the purpose, we were introduced 
to the Governor, Sir Charles Metcalfe, with whom we enjoyed 
the privilege of a long and free conversation. He bears about 
him all the marks of long experience, knows the world well, 
makes a generous use of his large pecuniary resources, and by 
his urbanity of manners, and substantial kindness, readily en- 
gages the affections of those who surround him. We fear, how- 
ever, that his well-intentioned efforts to please all parties in Ja- 
maica, will not, in the end, succeed. We cannot but believe, 
that an individual of such evident benevolence and integiity, 
will soon find it his place to make a decided stand, against the 
various encroachments upon the rights and privileges of the la- 
boring population, which are but too evidently making a silent 
and insidious progress. 

We were sorry to hear that several overseers had lately been 
appointed to the station of local magistrates ; for since the 
questions which come before the justices, are almost uniformly 
between the laborers and overseers, it must surely be a danger- 
ous expedient to constitute the latter, judges in their own 
cause. Between the two evils of no magistrates at all, and ma- 
gistrates thus circumstanced, the latter appears to us to be the 
greatest. 

The same remark applies, in a considerable degree, to the 
higher grade of " attorneys," and we apprehend that nothing 
would more serve the purpose of good order and tranquillity, in 
the colony of Jamaica, than (he settlement of a magistracy, 
wholly independent of all parties in the island, and paid by the 



130 JAMAICA. 

Home Government. The present stipendiary magistrates, with 
many of whom we had the opportunity of making our ac- 
quaintance, appeared to us to be ah'eady, to a great extent, an- 
swering this purpose. Many of the pecuhar functions which 
they exercised during the apprenticeship, have now ceased, and 
they are in general acting in the simple capacity of local ma- 
gistrates. That they are (with little exception,) invaluable 
defenders of the rights of the peasantry, in all the islands 
which we have visited, we are bound honestly to testify ; nor 
have we ever observed, in any of them, an indisposition to pro- 
mote the fair interests of the planter. They have now large 
experience of the moral and civil condition of the communities 
in which they act. To remove them from their posts, would, 
in our opinion, be little short of a death-blow to the peace and 
liberty of the colonies. We venture with great deference to 
express our decided judgment that their original number ought 
to be filled up, and their office, as local justices of the peace, 
rendered fully efficacious, and permajient. These remarks are 
made without any feeling of ill-will or prejudice against the 
planters and their agents, localised in Jamaica. We entertain 
warm feelings of regard and friendship towards many of these 
persons ; from all of them, whom we saw or visited, we met 
with unvarying kindness and civility. We give them credit, in 
general, for honorable and benevolent views and feelings. But 
we know the effect on the minds of men, of the circumstances 
in which they are placed, and have watched the silent influence 
of local bias. It is a true thougli trite remark, that " when 
self the wavering balance shakes, 'tis seldom right adjusted ;■' 
and hence it obviously follows— I am sure the planters of Ja- 
maica will admit it — that in him who holds the scales of jus- 
tice, self ought to have no interest whatsoever in the questions 
to be decided. 

We were glad to compare notes with Sir Charles Metcalfe, 
Like ourselves, he had just returned from a tour of inspection, 
in other parts of the island. It was therefore a great satisfaction 
to us, to find that he had imbibed the same convictions as we 



JAMAICA. 131 

had, respecting the. iin[)ropriety of mixing up the questions of 
rent and wages, and of all other attempts to compel tlio labor of 
freemen ; that he rejoiced, as much as onrsclves, in the rapid 
increase of villages of independent negro settlers ; and that he 
fully concurred with us, as to the most efficacious modes of 
ensuring the continuous labor of the people on the estates of 
their former masters. These are, the regular weekly payment 
of wages in cash, the system of job and piece work, the letting 
or selling of tenements and plots of ground to the people, within 
the properties of the planters, and lastly, moral and religious 
instruction. On one point we somewhat differed. Sir Charles 
seems to be of the opinion, with many other persons, that the 
planting interest of Jamaica is suifeving from the want of a 
larger population. That there is scope, in that island, for a 
great increase in the numbers of the people, is unquestionable ; 
and we are by no means opposed to any reasonable scheme of 
immigration. But the result of our own inquiries, is a convic- 
tion that the present population of Jamaica, if its force be but 
fairly applied under a just and wise management, will be found 
more than adequate to its present extent of cultivation ; and that 
as the population multiplies under the righteous sway of free- 
dom, the cultivation, may be indefinitely increased. 

There is one point, on which a few sentences may be of 
some use. The only bar that we know of, to that natural in- 
crease of the population in Jamaica, which all parties must 
allow to be desirable, is that grievous want of enlightened 
medical aid, from which the people are now suffering, in all 
parts of the island. The provision which was, in this respect 
made for them, in slavery, has now ceased ; and they have, in 
general, neither the ability, nor the wish, to employ regular 
practitioners at the usual prices. Thus are they thrown on 
ignorant quacks or myalists, and I have no doubt that many 
lives are lost, in consequence. We apprehend that the best 
remedy for this evil, would be the formation of public dispen- 
saries, at various stations tln-oughout the island, by the autho- 
rity, and in the first instance, at the expense, of the local go- 



132 JAMAICA. 

vernment ; each dispensary to be placed under the care of some 
regular medical practitioner, who should not only dispense 
medicines, but visit the people at their own houses. Moderate 
charges should be made for medicine and attendance, l3y which 
the outlay of the government might be gradually refunded, and 
the whole annual expense easily defrayed. We feel a hope 
that these suggestions may meet with due consideration, from 
persons of authority in the colony. The health and increase 
of the population cannot be, to them, an unimportant or unin- 
teresting object. 

I will take the present opportunity of offering to thy attention, 
the account of exports from Jamaica, (as exhibited in the return 
printed for the House of Assembly) for the last year of the ap- 
prenticeship, and the first of full freedom. 

Hhis. 

Sugar, for the year ending 9th-month, (Sep.) 30, 1838, 53,825 
Do. " " " " " 1839. 45,359 



Apparent diminution, . . 8,466 

This difference is much less considerable, than many persons 
have been led to imagine ; the real diminution, however, is still 
less ; because there has lately taken place in Jamaica, an in- 
crease in the size of the hogshead. Instead of the old measure, 
which contained 17 cwt., new ones have been introduced, con- 
taining from 20 to 22 cwt. — a change which, for several rea- 
sons, is an economical one for the planter. Allowing only five 
per cent, for this change, the deficiency is reduced from 8,466 
hogsheads, to 5,175 ; and this amount is further lessened by the 
fact, that in consequence of freedom, there is a vast addition to 
the consumption of sugar among the people of Jamaica itself, 
and therefore to the home sale. 

The account of coffee is not so favorable. 

Cwt. 

Coffee, for the year ending 9th-month, (Sep.) 30, 1838, 117,313 
Do. " " " " " 1839, 78,759 



Diminution, (about one-third) 38,554 



JAMAICA. 138 

The coffee is a very uncertain crop, and the deficiency, on 
the comparison of these two years, is not greater, I beheve, than 
lias often occurred before. We are also to remember, that both 
in sugar and coffee, the profit to the planter may bo increased 
by the saving of expense, even when the produce is diminished. 
Still, it must be allowed that some decrease has taken place, on 
both the articles, in connection with the change of system. With 
regard to the year 1840, it is expected that coffee will at least 
maintain the last amount ; but a farther decrease on sugar is 
generally anticipated. 

Now so far as this decrease of produce is connected with the 
change of system, it is obviously to be traced to a corresponding 
decrease in the quantity of labor. But here comes the critical 
question — the real turning point. To what is this decrease in 
the quantity of labor owing ? I answer deliberately, but with- 
out reserve, " Mainly to causes which class under slavery, and 
not under freedom." It is, for the most part, the result of those 
impolitic attempts to force the labor of freemen, which have 
disgusted the peasantry and have led to the desertion of many 
of the estates. 

It is a cheering circumstance that the amount of planting and 
other preparatory labor, bestowed on the estates during the au- 
tumn of 1839, has been much greater, by all accounts, than in 
the autumn of 1838. This is itself the effect of an improved 
understanding between the planters and the peasants ; and the 
result of it (if other circumstances be equal) cannot fail to be a 
considerable increase of produce in 1841. I am told, however, 
that there is one circumstance M''hich may possibly prevent this 
result, as it regards sugar. It is, that the cultivation of it, under 
the old system, was forced on certain properties which, from 
their situation and other circumstances, were wholly unfit for 
the purpose. These plantations afforded an income to the local 
agents, but to the proprietors were either unprofitable, or losing, 
concerns. On such properties, under tiiose new circumstances 
which bring all things to their true level, the cultivation of 

sugar must cease. 

12 



134 JAMAICA. 

In the mean lime, the imports of the island are rapidly in- 
creasing ; trade, improving ; the towns, thriving ; new villages 
rising in every direction ; property, much enhanced in value ; 
well-managed estates, productive and profitable ; expenses of 
management diminished ; short methods of labor adopted ; 
provisions cultivated on a larger scale than ever ; and the peo- 
ple, wherever they are properly treated, industrious, contented, 
and gradually accumulating wealth. Above all, education is 
rapidly spreading ; the morals of the community improving ; 
crime, in many districts, disappearing ; and Christianity assert- 
ing her sway, with vastly augmented force, over the mass of 
the population. Cease from all attempts to oppose the current 
of justice and mercy — remove every obstruction to the fair and 
full working of freedom — and the bud of Jamaica's prosperity, 
already fragrant and vigorous, will soon burst into a glorious 
flower. 

At the Governor's table in the evening, we met most of the 
principal officials of the island — the Chief Justice, the Bishop, 
the Attorney General, the Advocate General, the Colonial Sec- 
retary, several members of the Council, &c. We believed it 
right to comply with the Governor's kind request, that we should 
be present on the occasion. Nothing could be more friendly 
than the treatment which we met with from the company. 
The dinner was moderate, though handsome ; temperance, was 
strictly maintained, and the conversation was rational and agree- 
able. We took our leave, at night, under feelings of Chris- 
tian love and regard for all present. May they remember 
that for pulDlic, as well as private men. the law of right- 
eousness, is the only law of safety and of peace ! 

On the following day we returned to Kingston, where we 
found our numerous friends just arrived from Santa Cruz, and 
with them, Miguel Cabrera de Nevares, Governor of Madrid, 
who had been lately acting as Commissioner from the Queen of 
Spain, in the revisal of the municipal laws of the Spanish 
West Indian colonies. Our friends had taken him up at St. 
John's, Porto Rico, with a view of affording him a conveyance 



JAMAICA. 135 

to Havana. This circumstance turned out to be of no small 
importance to myself. For after the Spanish Consul at Kings- 
ton, full of the fears so natural to the abettors of slavery, had 
positively refused me a passport for Cuba, and had even written 
to the Captain General of that island, erroneously representing 
me as the President of the Anti-slavery Society, our friend Cabre- 
ra induced him to alter his letter ; and afterwards, by his per- 
sonal influence, procured me a quiet landing and polite re- 
ception, at Havana. Thus had we again to acknowledge that 
providential hand, which provides for all the needs of those who 
desire to serve Him. 

At Kingston I was occupied, for a short time, in carrying 
through the press a small pamphlet addressed to the planters, and 
entitled " Reconciliation recommended to all parties in Jamaica." 
The object of this address, was to show the absolute identity of 
interest, which now subsists among the planters, the laborers, and 
the abolitionists, and to call upon them all to unite, heart and 
hand, on just and salutary principles, in promoting the prosper- 
ity of this noble colony. We have since had the satisfaction of 
learning that it was well received by all parties. It is inserted 
in the Appendix. 

Our last day in Jamaica, was the first of the week — Third- 
month (March) 29th. Great is the privilege of one day in 
seven, expressly set apart for the purposes of rest and worship. 
For ourselves, we felt it to be salutary to cease from the investi- 
gation of secular points, however interesting, and again to unite 
with our fellow men, in drawing near, in spirit, to the Foun- 
tain of every blessing. We held our jnorning meeting in one 
of the Baptist chapels ; the congregation, chiefly black, was 
deeply serious, and when the subject of the aflflictions of Africa 
arose before us, the feeling of the people became intense. Many 
of them are awakened to a lively interest in the religious wel- 
fare of the people from which they spring; and we have 
strong reasons to believe that negroes from the West Indies, 
will ere long, be engaged in disseminating a knowledge of 
the Gospel of Christ, among the benighted nations of Africa- 



136 JAMAICA. 

The arising of this spirit of love and zeal, on behalf of the 
land of their forefathers, has been one of the blessed accompa- 
niments of their freedom. 

In the afternoon we again met, in the Wesleyan Meeting 
House, a vast assembly of persons of all ranks and classes : 
and after once more pressing upon their attention, those funda- 
mental principles, in the maintenance of which the true church 
of Christ, of every name, country, and color, is one body, we 
took a last solemn leave of Jamaica and her inhabitants. The 
next morning, we parted from our English Friends who con- 
tinue, for the present, on the island ; went on board the ship 
Whitmore ; and as soon as wind and tides permitted, set sail for 
Havana. 

I am, &c., &,c., 



LETTER XII. 



THE CONTRAST. 



Providence, R. /., Sixth-month {June) 29th, 1840 

My dear Friend, 

My narrative respecting the British West India islands, being 
now brought to a close, I will take the liberty of concentrating 
and recapitulating the principal points of the subject, in a few 
distinct propositions. 

I. The cniancipated negroes are working ivell on the 
estates of their old masters. The evidence of this fact con- 
tained in the foregoing letters, is, I hope, clear and ample. 
Thou wilt be pleased to recal the case of Tortola — especially 
the evidence of President Isaacs, who has fifteen hundred free 
laborers under his care ; of St. Christopher's — that scene of in- 
dustry and prosperity ; of Nevis and Montserrat, of which the 
oflficial accounts are so cheering and satisfactory — of Antigua, 
where, after the trial of freedom for six years, the produce of 
sugar is largely increased, many estates, thrown up in slavery, 
are again under cultivation, and the landed property, once sink- 
ing under its burdens, is already delivered from its mortgages — 
of Dominica, where notwithstanding the lack of moral culture, 
and the superabundance of fertile wild land, the peasantry are 
working as peaceably and diligently, on their old locations, as 
in Antigua itself. Nor does Jamaica, when duly inspected and 
f;iirly estimated, furnish any exception to the general result. 
We find that, in that island, wherever the negroes are fairly, 
kindly, and wisely treated, there they are working well on the 
.properties of their old masters ; and that the existing instances 
of a contraiy description, must be ascribed to causes which 
class under slavery, and not under freedom. Let it not however 

12* 



138 THE CONTRAST. 

be imagined, that the negroes who are not working on the estates 
of their old masters, are on that accomit, idle. Even these, are 
in general, busily employed in cultivating their own grounds, 
in various descriptions of handicraft, in lime-burning or fishing — 
in benefiting themselves and the community, through some new, 
but, equally desirable medium. Besides all this, stone walls 
are built, new houses erected, pastures cleaned, ditches dug, 
meadows drained, roads made and macadamised, stores fitted up, 
villages formed, and other beneficial operations effected ; the 
whole of which, before emancipation, it would have been a folly 
even to attempt. The old notion that the negro is, by consti- 
tution, a lazy creature who will do no work at all except by 
compulsion, is now for ever exploded. 

Taking the same population of black people, a larger propor- 
tion of them is operative under freedom, than was the case 
under slavery ; and of the operative part, each individual, on an 
average, performs more work than he did before. Thus the 
whole quantity of work obtained, by the stimulus of wages, is 
considerably greater than the amount formerly procured by the 
terror of the whip. When I speak of the stimulus of wages, I 
allude especially to its most effective form — payment by the 
piece, or job. The peasantiy of the county of Norfolk, in 
England, afford a fair specimen of industrious labor, on day's 
wages, in a cool climate. My own observation has led me to 
the conclusion that a free negro in the West Indies, paid by 
the day, will, in general, perform about three quarters of the 
quantity of work, which would be called a fair day's labor in 
Norfolk, But employ and pay him by the job, or piece, and he 
will soon equal, and even exceed, the day-labor standard of the 
Norfolk peasant. I presume it was chiefly to job work that a 
most intelligent magistrate of St. Christopher's alluded, when he 
said to me with great emphasis — " They will do an irijiiiiti/ of 
work for wages." 

II. An increased quantity of work thrown upon the mar- 
ket, is of course followed by the cheapening of labor. That 
this is the case in Jamaica, is in the clearest maimer demonstra- 



^y 



,^v 



THE CONTRAST. 139 

ted by the experience of A. B. and his friends, in llu- j);irisli of 
Manclioster. Great is the jiocnniiiry relief experienced hy iiifuiy 
of the planters, in the several islnnds which we visited, in con- 
sequence of their dehverance from the dead weight of their 
slaves. In many cases, the saving amounts to the half of their 
former outgoing. A planter who owned three hundred slaves, 
for whom he provided, food, clothing, bedding, household 
utensils, and uiedicnl alleiidiMice — not to mention white men 
for watchers, whips, and bilboes — is now delivered from the 
whole of tliis burden ; pays one hundred free laborers instead ; 
and soon, by dint of job work, mechanism, and short processes, 
reduces that number to sixty or seventy. Thus his debit in 
account comes to be almost as much decreased, as are his crosses 
and his cares. Remember A. B's declaration that he had rather 
— for the profit's sake — "make sixty tierces of coffee under free- 
dom, than one hundred and twenty, under slavery." 

True indeed it is, that the circumstances of different estates, 
and even of different colonies, varied considerably as to the ex- 
penditure occasioned by the support of the slaves ; and the 
figures, in the comparison now instituted between slavery and 
freedom, will vary in proportion. But so far, we have omitted 
to take into the account, the interest of the capital invested in 
slaves, and the dead loss occasioned by the excess of deaths 
over births — items which used to produce tremendous debits in 
eveiy fairly arranged balance-sheet of a West Indian slave- 
holder. Bring these items into view, and the saving on the 
side of freedom, is undoubted, uniform, and in many cases, 
prodigious. 

III. We prove the correctness of a sum in division, by a 
corresponding process in multiplication. Just so, do we prove 
the truth of the two preceding propositions, by a fact of which 
there is now taking place, a gradual but sure development, in 
all the islands which we visited ; viz : that real 2)roperty has 
risen, and is rising, in value. In the towns, both the enhance- 
ment and improvement of property are extraordina^}^ In the 
country, the value of the slaves — to say the least of it — is 



140 THE CONTRAST. 

already transferred to the land. Remember the declaration of 
our friend in St. Christopher's, who had bought an estate, before 
emancipation, for £2000, and now would not sell it for £6000 ; 

and that of our friend in Jamaica, who sold " G estate" for 

£1,500, and now remarks that it is worth £10,000. I wish it, 
however, to be understood, that the comparison is not here 
made with those olden times of slavery, when the soils of the 
islands were in their most prolific state, and the slaves them- 
selves, of a corresponding value ; but with those days of de- 
pression and alarm, which preceded the act of emancipation. 
All that I mean to assert is, that landed property, in the British 
colonies, has touched the bottom, has found that bottom solid, 
has already risen considerably, and is now on a steady ascend- 
ing march, towards the recovery of its highest value. One 
circumstance which greatly contributed to produce its deprecia- 
tion, was the cry of interested persons who wished to run it 
down ; and the demand for it, which has arisen among these 
very persons, is now restoring it to its rightful value. Remem- 
ber the old gentleman in Antigua, who is always complaining 
of the effects of freedom, and always buying land. 

IV. The personal comforts of the laboring population, under 
freedom, are multiplied tenfold. In making this assertion, I do not 
mean to insinuate that they enjoyed no comforts under slavery. 
On many of the estates, they were well fed and clothed, and were 
kindly treated, in other respects. Their provision grounds were 
often ample, the poor and infirm were supported Avith the rest, 
medical attendance was given, and many of them found opportu- 
nities for saving money. On the other hand, I am fully aware 
that since the date of full (nominal) freedom, they have been 
partially subjected, in some colonies, to grievous vexation and 
oppression ; that in others, their wages are too low ; that the poor 
and infirm are not always adequately provided for ; and lastly, 
that medical attendance, in many cases, has been withdrawn. 

Yet on the whole, the improvement in their physical con- 
dition and comforts, is wonderful. In the first place, they are 



TIIK CONTRAST. 141 

no Ioniser suflbring', under the perpetual feeling of compulsion ; 
they are enjoying the pleasures of independence — the whip, 
the bilboes, the treadwheel, are all withdrawn. And .secondly, 
their dress and diet, are, both of them, very greatly better than 
they used to be, under slavery. They are constant customers 
now, at the stores of the hosier, the linen draper, the tailor, the 
shoemaker, and the grocer — of which delightful fact, we find 
both a sure evidence, and a happy consequence, in the vast 
increase — almost the doubling — of imports. Bread and meat 
are now commonly eaten by them. Remember their beauti- 
fully neat appearance at our meetings ; their handsome wedding 
dresses, the eggs consumed for their wedding cakes ; the wine, 
in their cottages, freely bestowed on weary pilgrims ; their 
boots and shoes, which they are so much afraid of spoiling in 
the mud ; the mules and horses, on which they come riding to 
their chapels ; their pic-nic dinners, their social feasts of tem- 
perance and freedom. Above all, remember their thriving 
little freeholds — their gradual, but steady, accumulation of 
wealth. Wherever they are fairly treated, the laborers of 
Jamaica, are already most favorably circumstanced. Teach 
them to improve the structure, arrangement, and furniture, of 
their cottages ; and to exchange all items of finery and luxury, 
for substantial domestic convenience — and it will be in vain to 
seek for a better-conditioned peasantry in any country of Eu- 
rope. 

V. Lastly, the moral and religious improvement of this peo- 
ple, under freedom, is more than equal to the increase of their 
comforts. Under this head, there are three points, deserving, 
respectively, of a distinct place in our memories. First, the 
rapid increase, and vast extent, of elementary and Christian edu- 
cation — schools for infants, young persons, and adults, multiply- 
ing in every direction. Secondly, the gradual, but decided 
diminution of crime, amounting, in many countiy districts, al- 
most to its extinction. Thirdly, the happy change of the gene- 
ral, and almost universal, practice of concubinage, for the equally 
general adoption of marriage. " Concubinage," says Dr. Stewart 



142 THE CONTRAST. 

in his letter to me, " the universal practice of the colored 
people, has wholly disappeared from amongst them. No young- 
woman of color thinks of forming such connections now." 
What is more, the improved morality of the blacks, is reflecting 
itself on the white inhabitants — even the overseers are ceasing, 
one after another, from a sinful mode of life, and are forming 
reputable connections in marriage. But while these three 
points are confessedly of high importance, there is a fourth 
which at once embraces, and outweighs, them all — -I mean the 
diffusion of vital Christianity. I know that great apprehen- 
sions were entertained — especially in this country — lest on the 
cessation of slavery, the negroes should break away at once 
from their masters, and their ministers. But freedom has come, 
and while their masters have not been forsaken, their religious 
teachers have become dearer to them than ever. Under the 
banner of liberty, the churches and meeting-houses have been 
enlarged and multiplied, the attendance has become regular 
and devout, the congregations have, in many cases, been more 
than doubled — above all, the conversion of souls (as we have 
reason to believe) has been going on to an extent never before 
known in these colonies. In a religious point of view, as I have 
before hinted, the wilderness, in many places, has indeed begun 
to "blossom as the rose." " Instead of the thorn," has " come 
up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar" has " come up the 
myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name — for an 
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." 

When we were engaged in waiting on the intellectual no- 
bility of your land, at Washington, we restricted ourselves, 
with little exception, to a plain narrative of the good working 
of freedom in the West Indies — leaving it to them to draw the 
conclusions. But now, my dear friend, in a calm retreat, far 
away from persons in authority, and left to my own reflections, I 
feel that I may, without impropriety, go a little farther. I will 
therefore solicit thy attention to a plain, practical, contrast. 

I know somethino: of the slave states of North America— 



THE CONTRAST. 143 

many interesting weeks have I spent in Maryland, Virginia, 
and Nortli Carolina ; and some little time, both in South Caro- 
lina, and Georgia ; and although 1 strictly confined myself 
to my functions as a minister of the Gospel, I travelled 
with my eyes and ears open, on the subject of slavery. I will 
therefore freely sulimit to tliy consideration the result of my own 
inquiries and observations, in the slave states of your Union, on 
the five points now alluded to. These are, first, the quantity 
of labor procured under slavery ; secondly, the comparative 
expense of the system ; thirdly, the effect of it upon the value 
of property ; fourthly, the comforts of the laboring people ; and 
lastly, the state of morals and religion. On these several 
points, I beg leave to offer the following remarks. 

I. The quantity of labor. — ^Many a time have I seen the 
slaves of Virginia and the Carolinas, at work in the fields, under 
the surveillance of a white overseer ; and I could not believe 
that the work obtained was, in quantity, comparable to that of 
freemen ; for the slaves were laboring without vigor, and the 
overseer was doing nothing. On inquiry, in South Carolina 
especially, I found that the quantity of work procured from 
the slaves, was even much less than I had anticipated. I under- 
stood that in a body of slaves, on any estate, the proportion in 
active service, at any given time, is not greater in America, than 
it \vas in the West Indies. There are the old, the infirm, the 
sick, the shammers of sickness, the mothers of young infants, 
the numerous children, &c., &,c. All these belong to the dead 
weight, and they leave about one-third of the black population 
in actual operation. Now, this operative class has no stimulus 
to labor, except compulsion, i. e. the whip ; and people neither 
imll nor can perform by compulsion, an average quantity of 
continuous work. That they should do so, is contrary to the 
laws of nature, and to the constitution, not only of the negro, 
but of mankind. Th3 result is, that the cotton and rice plant- 
ers of Georgia and South Carolina, are very generally content- 
ing themselves with half a day's work from their negroes. 
Their task is finished by twelve, one, or two o'clock ; and for 



144 THE CONTRAST. 

the rest of the day, they are left to themselves. Most willingly 
do I allow that this arrangement is to the credit of the benevo- 
lence of their masters, though I fear that this prevailing kind- 
ness has its occasional painful exceptions ; but the plain fact is, 
that the slave cannot fairly do more, or much more, than he is 
now doing. Compel him to perform the task of a freeman, and 
you drive him to death. Where the only stimulus to labor, 
which survives under slaveiy — I mean compulsion — is with- 
drawn, the work, of course, becomes light in proportion. I 
have no doubt that the slaves of my dear friend, Isaac E. 
Holmes, M. C, for Charleston, who would not, if he could 
help it, hurt a fly, lead as quiet and easy a life, as any people 
in the world. May they continue to enjoy that privilege, until 
they are finally set free ! It appears then, that the work ob- 
tained from three hundred slaves, in your southern states, can- 
not be estimated as more in quantity, than the fair day's labor, 
on wages, of one-sixth of the number, that is, oi fifty freemen. 
11. But the whole three hundred slaves must be supported ; 
and the expense of supporting them, in your states, is vastly 
greater than it was in the West Indies. I was surprised to hear, 
on excellent authority, when lately in South Carolina, that the 
average expense of maintaining a slave, on estates where they 
are liberally treated, is not less than $50 per annum. Three 
hundred slaves, at $50, is $15,000 ; or take it, for moderation's 
sake, at $30, and the result is $9,000. But these 300 slaves 
represent an enormous capital. Even now, the price of a good 
male slave at Savannah and Charleston, is $1.000— often it has 
risen to $1,500. Take $500 as the average price of men, 
women, and children, and your 300 slaves represent a capital 
of $150,000, on which interest, at 6 per cent., is $9,000. This 
added to the other $9;000 for their support, makes $18,000— 
a terrible debit indeed, in any man's annual profit and loss ac- 
count. Such a debit may be overborne, for a time, by high prices 
of rice, cotton, or sugar ; but it is ruinous in its nature, and 
ruin, in the end, it is pretty sure to produce. Pay 50 free la- 
borers $2 50 per week, as wages, and charge them half a dollar 



THE CONTKAST. 145 

weekly for rent, (allowing two weeks in the year for holydays,) 
and tlic result is the small comparative ainuial expense of 
$5,000. Independently, however, of this calculation in fjgures, 
we are to remember the collateral truth, that slavery is wedded 
to extravagance ; whatever may be the particukir exceptions, 
its general tendency is to engender in the slaveholdmg popu- 
lation, those habits of indolence and wastefulness, which have, 
as thou canst not fail to be aware, accelerated the downfaU (jf 
many a reputable family, and many a noble estate. 

III. The value of landed property. As the favorable work- 
ing of freedom in the West Indies, is proved by the rise in the 
value of property, so I think it must be allowed that a jjroof 
of the ruinous tendencies of slavery, is forced on the view even 
of the most superficial observer, who travels through Maryland, 
Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Thousands 
and tens of thousands of acres which were once cultivated and 
productive, have fallen back, under the blight of slave-labor 
into a wilderness ; not, indeed, the wilderness of olden times, 
which teemed with the luxuriance of nature, but one without 
fertility and without hope. The properties to which I allude, 
the appearance of which cannot fail to be familiar to thyself, 
were once, doubtless, of considerable value ; now (notwith- 
standing the general rule that land rises in value, as a nation 
rises) they are worth little or nothing. A change for the worse, 
in the appearance of the country, is conspicuous enough, even 
when one passes the line between Pennsylvania and Maiyland ; 
but I am told that it is still more striking, to the traveller who 
crosses the river from the state of Ohio, into thy own Kentucky. 
The soil on either side of the magnificent stream, being of 
equal fertility, ihe free-hank (it is said) blooms with prosperity, 
while the slave-baiiJc presents the evident symptoms of neglect 
and decay. 

I know that the monied value of property depends on a 
variety of causes — that it will, of course, rise, when the wilder- 
ness becomes settled, and when the population increases, as on 

the fertile shores of the Mississippi. I am also aware that the 

13 



146 THE CONTRAST. 

richness of an alluvial country, as in Louisiana, and frequent 
irrigation, as in the rice-grounds of South Carolina, will long 
counteract other causes which would otherwise produce decay. 
But it is the privilege of a philosophical statesman, in his ex- 
amination of the statistics of the country to which he belongs, 
to analyze and classify causes and effects. On this ground, I 
am sure it cannot be concealed from thee, that slave labor, 
viewed in its distinct character, and separated from circumstan- 
ces with which it is not essentially connected, has a uniform 
tendency to the exhaustion and depreciation of land. It is a 
consequence which belongs to the order of nature ; but let us 
remember that the order of nature, is the ordinance of God — 
" He turneth a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness 
of them that dwell therein." 

IV. Comforts of the negroes. — Nothing can be farther from 
my wish, than to heap abuse on the slaveholders of the south- 
em states. Those with whom I have become acquainted, are 
amiable and benevolent men, and I give them full credit for 
kindness and consideration, in the treatment of their slaves. I 
can perfectly understand what must have been the faithful and 
affectionate feelings of thy own servant Charles, when, in Ca- 
nada, he had thy full permission to take the flight of freedom, 
but averred that if all Canada was offered to him as a present, 
he would not leave his master. Had I been in your company, 
however, when this conversation took place, I might perhaps 
have addressed him in the language of Paul — " If thou mayest 
be made free, use it rather" — avail thyself of the opportunity — 
take the upward step in character and condition, which a good 
Providence opens before thee. And this advice would have 
been founded on the conviction that it can never tend to any 
man's comfort, in the long run, to be the subject of unqualified 
and arbitrary power. I am very much mistaken, if, under these 
circumstances, happiness is not the exception — discomfort the 
general rule. Ignorance of his own nature and destiny, is the 
only condition, as I believe, in which a slave can be perma- 
nently comfortable. But the infractions of comfort, to which 



THE CONTRAST. 147 

the slaves of North America are liable, arc too notorious to be 
disputed. The treatment of them, as it regards food and rai- 
ment, must and will depend, not merely on the dispositions, but 
on the means, of their masters. The want of ready money, 
in the slaveholder, often bears more severely on the slave, than 
the want of kindness. Again, we well know that masters are 
sometimes driven, for many months, from their properties, by 
the insalubrity of the location, and that the slaves are left under 
the care of overseers — persons of sufficiently low grade, to be 
induced to risk their lives, for a pecuniary compensation. This 
must be a fruitful source of sulfering. 

In order to form a correct view, however, on the present sub- 
ject, it is enough for me to recur to scenes which I have myself 
witnessed. Although, in travelling through some of your slave 
states, T have often observed the negroes well clad, and in good 
bodily condition, their general aspect has not appeared to me 
to be that of happiness. Seldom have I seen anything among 
them, like the cheerful smile of the peasant of Jamaica ; and 
sometimes, they have been half-naked, and wretched m their 
demeanor. When I saw large companies of black people fol- 
lowing either the masters who owned them, or the merchants 
who had bought them, to some distant state, the lame ones com- 
pelled to keep up with their associates, and yet limping behind, 
from very weakness — when, in one of the sea islands of South 
Carolina, I looked on a gang of them, ginning cotton, worldng 
as if they were on the tread-wheel, their sweat falling from 
them like rain, and the overseer sitting by, with his cow-hide 
alongside of him — when, in the negro jail of Charleston, I was 
surrounded by a large number of negroes, who had been sent 
thither, without any intervention of law or magistracy, but at 
the sole will of their holders, to be punished on the treadwheel, 
or with whipping (not exceeding fifteen lashes) according to 
directions on an accompanying ticket — when, lastly, in the 
iron-grated dep6t at Baltimore, I visited the poor creatures who 
had been sold away from their families and friends, and were 
about to be transmitted, on speculation, liice so many bales of 



148 THE COXTRAST. 

cotton or worsted, to the far-distant South — when these scenes 
passed, one after another, in review before me, it was impossible 
for me to think highly of the comforts of your enslaved negroes. 

The slave market at Charleston is held, as I understand, 
in the open streets, immediately under the walls of the ex- 
change. There, our fellow-men are bought and sold without 
reserve. True indeed it is, that many high-minded, benevo- 
lent, holders, refuse to sell their slaves under any circumstances, 
and that many others avoid selling them, except in undivided 
families. But the laws of bankruptcy and executorship, are 
fraught with no such tender feelings ; and in the breaking up 
and disposal of estates, husbands and wives, parents and child- 
ren, are often sold — irrespectively of each other— each to the 
highest bidder. With such liabilities at hand, where can be 
the solid happiness of the slave of North America ? I would, 
however, recur to my original ground — no man, who has sense 
and knowledge enough, to reflect upon himself can enjoy true 
comfort, while the law regards him as the property of another. 
One of your most enlightened senators, furnished me with an 
instructive anecdote in reference to this subject. A pro-slavery 
Methodist minister, in our friend's presence, was, one day, 
questioning a well-educated negro, much respected by his mas- 
ter, find amply supplied with the conveniences of life. " You 
have your wife and family about you," said the minister ; " you 
have a good house ; you and your children are well clad ; you 
sit down, day by day, to a well-provided table ; you are even 
engaged as a preacher to your brethren — why then are you 
anxious to be free? what can you wish for more?" ''Sir," 
replied the negro, " I wish to lay my hand on my heart, and 
!-ay, My flesh is my own." 

V. Morals and religion. That there are in the slave states 
of North America, a great number of persons, both white and 
black, who are both moral and religious, I cannot in the least 
degree doubt. I have witnessed some plain tokens of the fact, 
in a large number of decent and attentive congregations, con- 
sisting of both masters and slaves, who have kindly given 



TIIH CONTRAST. 149 

mc their company at meetings fur worship of my own appoint- 
ment. Far be it from me to cxchide either of tliese parties from 
the pale of salvation ; or to forget the equal applicability of our 
common riiristianity, to bond and free. Nevertheless, as slave- 
holders irjvc way to the development of divine truth, in their 
own minds, they will not fail to hear a voice whispering within 
them — " Touch not the unclean thing — cease to do evil." 
That slavery is sinful, not oidy in its abuse, but in its own 
nature, seems to me to be evident from its practical results. 
Two of these, with which an American statesman cannot fail to 
be familiar, I may now briefly mention — they are in themselves 
amply sufficient to prove my case. The first, is the dreadful 
licentiousness which notoriously prevails in your slave states 
not merely among the negroes themselves, but more especially 
between whites and blacks. Here indeed amalgamation speeds 
its course without reserve, and in a criminal form. An institution 
which constantly leads to this result — under which fathers are 
sometimes known, to bequeath or sell their own children — must 
needs be, in itself, a desperate moral evil. The second result 
alluded to is compulsonj ig'iiorcmce. Evil in its root — incura- 
bly evil — opposed to the will of an intelligent and benevolent 
Creator — and deadly in its moral tendency — must be a system, 
which shuts out half or two thirds of the population of a state, 
from even sipping at the fountain of knowledge — which pro- 
claims to a multitudinous rising generation the stern decree, 
" You shall ticver be taught to read the Bible 1" 

I have now drawn a contrast between freedom in the West 
Indies, and slavery in North America, on five distinct points — 
the quantity of labor, the expense of cultivation, the value of real 
property, the comforts of the negro, and lastly, morals and reli- 
gion. I have endeavored to avoid exaggeration, in the statement 
of either side ; but who shall deny that the scale preponderates 
with immense weiglit and power, on the side of freedom ? "Who 
can doubt that the American statesman is bound by every prin- 
ciple of pliilosophy as well as philanthropy, of policy, as well 

13* 



150 THE CONTRAST. ' 

£S justice, to desist from the support of slavery, and henceforth 
to labor in the good old cause, of emancipation ? 

We had great pleasure in relating our story of the West 
Indies, to a political rival of thine, for whonj I have a great 
personal esteem — I mean John C. Calhoun. He listened with 
the greatest attention to the narrative, and after I had brought it 
to a close, admitted his belief not only in the accuracy of the 
relation itself, but in that of the five points partly jjecuniary, and 
partly jjhysical and moral, on which it furnished such ample 
evidences of the favorable working of freedom. He then fixed 
his eagle eye upon me, and cross-questioned me respecting the 
political state of Jamaica. This process was followed up by a 
rapid, declamatory argument, in which he endeavored to shew 
that the emancipation of the blacks in the West Indies, was safe 
to the white inhabitants, only because it was guarded by the 
stronsf arm of Great Britain — that the two races are so distinct 
and opposite, that without the intervention of such a power, they 
could not be expected to live together in peace, in the capacity 
of free-men — that where the blacks preponderate m numbers, 
the whites would be overwhelmed— that where the numbers 
are even, there would arise interminable violence and strife — 
that in America therefore, the political objections to the abolition 
of slavery, are not to. be surmounted. Such I believe was the 
substance of his argument, which was listened to with great 
apparent delight, by several of his allies from the south, who 
were present on the occasion. To hear the eloquent argumen- 
tation of our friend, was indeed a great pleasure to ourselves. 
I said it was a treat to me to hear J. C. Calhoun reason, and 
that I would not attempt to reply to him — at any rate not with- 
out previous reflection. At the same time I ventured to observe, 
first that political influence, when obtained in connection with 
the acquisition of property, is in its nature safe ;■ and secondly, 
that the principles of the Gospel of Christ, were the adequate 
remedy for all prejudices of race, cast, or color. 

Since that time, I have often reflected on the Senator's argu- 
ment, and my own mind is well satisfied of its essential fallacy. 



THK CONTRAST. 151 

First with regard to Jamaica, the strong arm of the British 
Government, was indeed considered necessary for the protection 
of the whites, during slavery, when the ])lanters and their 
farniHcs were on the eJge of a volcano which might any day 
explode ; and notwithstanding that protection, I believe it may 
truly bo said, that an explosion must long since have taken 
place, had it not been for the unrivalled patience and forbear- 
ance of the negro race. But now, under freedom, the volcano 
is extinguished ; the planters and their families are in perfect 
safety ; the protecting arm of the third party is no longer re- 
quisite, and to a great extent, it has already, been withdrawn. 
We were thoroughly satisfied, in all the islands which we 
visited, that the few troops remaining in them, were, in a politi- 
cal point of view, utterly needless, and might be withdrawn to 
a man, with entire impunity — and this I believe is the general 
opinion of the planters themselves. In the mean time, we did 
not find that any inconvenience is arising, from the constitu- 
tional differences of the two races. Certainly there is no an- 
tipathy of the blacks towards the whites, but rather the feelings 
of respect, deference, and affection ; and on the other hand, the 
prejudice of the whites against the blacks, is greatly on the de- 
cline. Although there is very little intermarriage between them, 
the distinctions of color are already forgotten to a degree which 
we could not have anticipated. All are now on one political 
level ; and the influence of each mdividual, whether black, 
brown, or white, is left to depend, as it ought to do, on its legiti- 
mate grounds — namely, property, talent, education, and charac- 
ter. As the negroes make progress in these elements of inSu- 
ence, their political power will of course increase ; but that 
power will be conservative, and not destructive. 

That the position of things which I have now described, as 
existing in the West Indies, is one of harmlessness and safety, 
cannot reasonably be denied. Exp3rience has already proved 
it to be so, to a considerable extent. Nor can I perceive a single 
sound reason, why it should be otherwise, were it tried in tlie 
slave states of your own union. 



152 THE CONTRAST. 

While it is obvious that the juxta-position of the two races 
already" exists, and cannot be avoided^ it is to me equally evident 
that the true danger of that juxta-position, lies in the relations 
of slavery. These are unnatural ; they are opposed to the 
eternal rule of right, and they contain, in themselves, the seeds 
of violence and confusion. Abolish them therefore in faith ; 
bestow on men of all complexions, an equality of political right, 
and what is the consequence ? The whole population, is thrown 
on the operation of natural and legitimate principles of action, 
every man finds his own just level, religion spreads under the 
banner of freedom, and all is quietness, order and peace. Such 
is the lot of the British West Indian colonies ; and such, I hum- 
bly but ardently hope, will soon be the happy condition of every 
one of the United States. 

I am, &c., (fee. 



LETTER XIII. 

CUBA. 

Providence, R. /., ^eventh-inonth {JitJy) \sl. 1840. 

Mt dear Frienp, 

Wlieu we. sailed away from Jamaica, as mentioned in a 
former letter, wc soon found that we were in the midst of an 
agreeable and interesting company. It consisted, of Samuel 
B. Parsons, a young friend of ours from New- York, who had met 
us in Jamaica, twenty-two other Americans, including several 
amiable women, on tlieir return from Santa Cruz to their native 
shores, and our Spanish friend Cabrera, who was well able to 
converse with us, both in French and English. He is a person 
of remarkable intelligence, courteous maimers, and as we have 
every reason to believe, sound moral and religious principle. 
During the awful conflicts by which Spain has of late years 
been so fearfully convulsed, he has been seven times con- 
demned to death. Once by the decree of a Carlist General, he 
was sitting, with the handkerchief bound about his eyes, on the 
point of being publicly shot, when the tables were suddenly 
turned, and his rescue was effected. Singular iiideed are the 
providential circumstances which from time to time, turned up 
for his deliverance, often through the intervention of intrepid 
women, and he is now one of the most respected and useful 
servants of the Queen Regent. Of the accomplished educa- 
tion, liberal views, and benevolent intentions, of that royal lady, 
he gave us an excellent account. — Of course, we did not fail to 
implore the exertion of his influence with her, for the actual 
suppression, of their already legally abolished slave trade. 

Our voyage was one of nine days, and although of longer 
duration, than it was reasonable to expect, was remarkably 



154 CUBA. ' 

pleasant. One circumstance alone threw a gloom over the 
circle — the extreme illness of two of our passengers, in whom 
the genial climate of Santa Cruz had failed to arrest the pro- 
gress of consumption. One of these individuals has since fin- 
ished her mortal career, in the faith, and hopes, of the Christ- 
ian. 

Every morning after breakfast, we assembled on deck, for 
the audible reading of a portion of Scripture, on which occa- 
sions no one was a more willing or attentive auditor than our 
friend the Spaniard. He is a Roman Catholic, as to his habits 
and connections, but free from the superstitions of popery. Our 
Scripture reading was generally followed up by the Governor's 
school. Ignorant as we were, even of the right sounds of the 
letters, he kindly undertook to teach several of our party, Span- 
ish ; and certainly, if he manifests, in his political duties, the 
same orderly and perspicacious intellect, which he then applied 
to the instruction of his pupils, he must be a valuable agent, 
under any Government. He so far succeeded that they pre- 
sented to him, before we separated, a short address in his own 
language, which may serve as a memorandum of our pleasant 
intercourse. 

Gentil maestro humano 
Claro, benigno, sano, 
Tu sabes que lo vano, 
Solo es de arena un grano. 
Por tu noble entereza, 
Peligro tu cabeza, 
Mientras horrible guerra 
Agitaba la tierra ; 
Mas Dios te ha preservado 
Dal enemigo hado, 
Y la gran Reyna bella, 
Quiso poner la estrella 
Que el solo honor ha hecho 
Sobre tu ilustre pecho. 
Oh, muy felice fuera, 
Por tener un Cabrera ! 



CUBA. 155 

The weather was delightful ; and the contemplation of the 
ever varying beauties of ocean scenery, occupied many an agree- 
able hour, as we gradually made progress on our voyage. One 
day a heron or crane, of speckled white and brown, Comid her 
rest on our rigging ; at another time, a number of largo birds of 
a bright scarlet hue, were seen flying, in a row, at some distance 
from the vessel. They were probably specimens of the scarlet 
ibis — or perhaps flamingos. Schools of porpoises were often 
seen from on l^oard the sliip, and never seen without amusement ; 
the smooth agility of the leap with which they rise for a moment 
out of the water, and at the same time move rapidly onward on 
their journey, impresses one with the idea of perfect bodily enjoy- 
ment. I was in hopes that we should sail within sight of the Isle 
of Pines, near the southren coast of Cuba, which is said to be 
very beautiful — once the resort of pirates, and still probably, of 
slavers — but we passed it at a distance of thirty miles, and saw 
nothing of it. Soon afterwards we came in sight of the low 
cape Antonio, which would have proved to Columbus, had he 
pursued his voyage a few leagues further, that Cuba was no 
part of his imagined continent. After doubling the cape, we had 
about one hundred miles to make to windward, before we could 
reach our port. Baffling winds and calms detained us for two 
or three days ; our last pig and fowl had been eaten ; we were 
beginning, somewhat seriously to long for the land — when one 
delightful evening, a favorable breeze sprung up and brought 
us, under flying colors and full sail, past the Moro castle and 
lighthouse, into the port of Havana. It was the 9tli of the 
Fourth-month (April.) 

The scene M'-as veiy animating and beautiful. The Moro is 
built on a dark rock, on the left of the entrance ; on a hill 
above it, stand the Cabanas, a fort of prodigious dimensions, in 
which is stationed a large body of Spanish soldiers. Report 
makes the numbers of them in Cuba, not less than fifteen thou- 
sand — a guard, be it observed, for the protection of the white 
inhabitants, against their negroes, in a state of slavery ; but I 
have reason to believe that the number of troops is exaggerated. 



156 CUBA. 

Before us lay the wide spreadino;, old city, said to contain one 
hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants ; a few green hills 
were seen in the distance ; and when we had passed the Moro, 
the land-locked port full of shipping, including three British- 
men-of-war, and surmounted by some handsome public build- 
ings, were suddenly opened to our view. It is a port of great 
resort and traffic, far exceeding, in this respect, any other in 
the dominions of Spain. 

With the exception of the Governor of Madrid, we continued 
on board for the night ; and early the next morning, received 
a notice, that we were all permitted to land, without undergo- 
ing any of the usual formalities. The British Consul, Charles 
Tolme, came on board to pay his respects to some of our sister 
passengers. I found that he was an old friend of mine, 
whom I had not seen for some thirty years. He gave me a 
hearty welcome, and accompanied me, on our landing, to 
the Government House/, as I wished to pay my respects to the 
Prince of Anglona, the Captain General of Cuba. Our friend 
Cabrera had already conveyed to him a letter of introduction 
which I had brought with me from the Governor of Jamaica \ 
and I considered that an early call, was due to him from a 
friend to the slaves, and a Christian minister, whom he had so 
kindly permitted to land, at all hazards. The Prince, who is 
one of the old nobility of Spain, is a person of small stature, 
and by no means imposing in his appearance, but of good tal- 
ents, and liberal politics. He received us with great politeness, 
and even apologised to our consul for my having been refused 
a passport in Jamaica. He spoke French fluently, and talked 
to us for a few minutes, in a friendly manner. No opportunity 
offered for conversation on important topics, and we soon retired. 
I was afterwards informed tbat it is the uniform practice of the 
slave traders, both in Poito Rico and Cuba, to fee the respective 
Governors, pretty largely, for every African imported into 
those islands. The late Governor of Porto Rico is said to have 
retired, in consequence, with an immense fortune. The price 
of connivance, now fixed in Cuba, is reported to be twelve 



CUBA. loZ 

dollars per slave. Douceurs of inferior ainoutit .-in; Ix'stowed 
on subordinate ofTiccrs-; but ahus ! tbe i)rofits of the slnve trade 
tu'e siicli as to render these iniquitous allowances, but a triflinif 
per centage. 

The streets of the city of Havana, are extremely narrow, and 
we found the heat oppressive ; but excellent quarters were ob- 
tained for us at a boarding house kept by an agreeable Ameri- 
can family of the name of West; and locomotion is rendered 
easy, by the luuucrous volantcs — small one-horse carriages, 
with overshadowing leather tops and enormous wheels, driven 
by negro postillions, in high Spanish boots. The streets are 
thronged by a busy population — all talking Spanish. Every 
thing in Havana, is entirely foreign to the eye and ear of an 
Englishman or American, and it was well that our friend Ca- 
brera had been training some of us to the utterance of a few bro- 
ken sentences, in the language of the countiy. 

In the evening, under the guidance of the British consul's 
agreeable lady, we visited the Passeo, a public road and pro- 
menade formed of late years, under the Government of Tacon, 
a Spaniard of extraordinary energy, who is said to have found 
Cuba a den of thieves and robbers, and to have left it, when he 
finally resigned his trust, in comparatively good civil order. He 
made examples of some notorious offenders of high rank, in- 
stituted an etTective police, built a great prison, and gave much 
attention to roads and other necessary internal improvements : 
but he is said to have been no enemy to the slave-trade. At 
the end of the Pass6o is Tacon's villa and garden — the latter laid 
out, though on a small "cale, after the style of the gardens at 
Versailles. After a walk through this scene of somewhar 
formal beauty, we ascended the hill, on which stands Fort Prin- 
cipe. Here we obtained a noble view of the city, the harbor, the 
abundant shipping, the Moro castle, the Cabaiiis on the opposite 
heights, and the sea as the boundary of the prospect. In gene- 
ral however the countiy round Havana, is far from being pictur- 
esque, and is cultivated chiefly with maize for fodder. Many 

miles must be travelled inland, before one can reach either a 

14 



158 CUBA. 

mountainous district, or those luxuriant fields of sugar-cane,which 
are managed by a mere process of rattooning, without the insertion 
of new plants, for twenty, thirty, or even fifty years in succes- 
sion. Rattooning is the annual raising of fresh canes from the 
same plant, and the number of years during which it may be 
carried on, is an index of the strength and richness of the soil. 
While this process may be continued in Cuba for so great a 
length of years, the virgin land is so rich, that a mere touch of 
the hoe, is sufficient to prepare it for the reception of new cane. 
In most of the British colonies the rattooning lasts only three 
or four years ; and the ground requires the laborious process of 
holing, or some adequate substitute, as a preparation for plant- 
ing. No wonder, therefore, that the sugars of our colonies have 
always been undersold by the planters of Cuba. 

The following day. Fourth-month (April) 10th, was one of 
memorable but painful interest. 

We were engaged to breakfast with the British consul ; but 
before going to his house, we availed ourselves of the cool air 
of the early morning, in order to visit " El jardin del Obispo" 
— the villa and gardens of the late archbishop — which are quite 
as worthy of inspection as those of the Governor Tacon. The 
objects which chiefly attracted us there, were the shady avenues 
of mango trees, a living alligator kept in a small reservoir, and 
the greater rarity, in a tropical climate, of a cold stream of clear 
xvater, in v/hich it was a luxury to bathe. At the consul's, we 
met Capt. Hawkins, of the Romney man-of-war, stationed in 
the port of Havana, for the reception of the Africans who may 
be taken out of slave-ships, condemned by the Court of Mixed 
Commission. As the slave trade of Cuba is now rarely carried 
on under Spanish colors, neither the judges of that court, nor 
our friend Capt. Hawkins have much, if any, business ; but 
they are useful, nevertheless, as watchers of the iniquities of 
Cuba. 

After breakfast, we accompanied Capt. Hawkins, and one of 
his friends, to his home on the waters, and were well satisfied 
with the ample accommodations, which it is calculated to afford 



1 



CUBA. 159 

the rescued Africans, whenever such an asylum maybe re- 
quired. The cn])lain ;uid liis friend arc deeply and honestly 
interested in the cause of freedom — no frequent virtue, and no 
slight praise, in any one who even sojourns at Havana \ After 
we had examined the ship, he conveyed us, in his boat, on a 
cruise about the harbor, in order to give us a quiet view of the 
slavers. Five of them were then stationed there, in the open 
face of day, notoriously fitted up for the traffic, and ready to slip 
off for Africa, for fresh supplies of bultos [bales — so the slave 
merchants call the negroes) so soon as a dark or stormy night 
should afford them an opportunity of escaping the vigilance of 
the British cruiser. Snake, then in port at Havana. They con- 
sisted of two brigs, one of which had already landed three 
liundred and fifty slaves, the Socorro ship built for one thou- 
sand ; the Grandes Antillas, for twelve hundred ; and lastly, 
the notorious Venus, now called La Ducheza de Braganza, 
Baltimore-built, which had taken in eleven hundred slaves on 
the coast of Africa, and after losing two hundred and forty, in 
the middle passage, had landed eight hundred and sixty in 
Cuba. We understood that the three larger of these vessels, 
were intended for Mozambique, on the eastern coast of Africa 
— a voyage of great length, for which their size peculiarly 
adapts them. They are fitted up with giuis, and like the brigs 
or schooners, are constructed with consummate art, for the 
purpose of swift sailing. They are utterly unsuitable for a 
legitimate commerce. The painful compression of tlie wretch- 
ed negroes, in the holds of these vessels, during their voyage 
across the Atlantic, is too horrible to be described. Surely this 
traffic is the most odious wickedness that ever disgraced or 
afflicted mankind ! 

On our return to the shore, Capt. Hawkins conducted us to 
the office of the British commissioner, Kennedy, with whom, 
together with his secretary'', we enjoyed the privilege of a full 
and interesting conversation. He is well informed respecting 
the iniquities which are practised at Havana, and gave us a 
sad account both of the slave ti-ade, and slavery, of Cuba. 



160 CUBA. 

The commissioner reckons the number of slaves annually im- 
ported into Cuba, (chiefly in the immediate neighborhood of 
Havana,) at twenty-five thousand. On farther inquiiy, how- 
ever, I found they are often landed in creeks and bays, both 
on the northern and southern coasts, out of the limits of 
our friend's observation ; and there is reason to believe that 
his estimate is below the mark. The profits of the trade 
are from one hundred to two hundred per cent. ; and if only 
one-third of the negroes, received on the African coast, are 
brought safely to Cuba, the speculation answers. Hence, it 
follows, that neither the risks which they run of capture by the 
British cruisers, nor the deaths of a large proportion of the 
negroes on the voyage, are circumstances of any importance 
to the slave-merchant — they require only a moderate insurance. 

Reckless of every consideration connected either with ho- 
nesty or humanity, the captains of these slavers often make 
piratical attacks on each other. I saw a letter from one of 
them, describing to the slave trading house in Cuba, by which 
he was employed, his having been forcibly robbed of all his 
bultos (bales) ; and of his having replenished Ms vessel, by 
committing, in his turn, a similar depredation. But the whole 
affair is one of robbery and murder. Of one feature in the 
slave trade and slavery of Cuba, I had no knowledge until I 
was on the spot. The importation consists almost entirely of 
men, and we were informed that on many of the estates, not a 
single female is to be found. Natural increase is disregarded. 
The Cubans import the stronger animals, like bullocks, work 
them up, and then seek a fresh supply. This surely is a sys- 
tem of most unnatural barbarity. 

In the afternoon, after an early dinner at the Consul's, we 
sallied forth on an excursion of rather a delicate nature ; it was 
to visit the barracoons — receptacles where the newly imported 
Africans are stowed, and offered for sale. Our two young 
friends went in one direction ; M. Day and myself, under the 
guidance of a young Guernseyman, in another. He and I 
visited three out of six of these establishments, all of them 



CUBA. 161 

being witliiii two miles of the city. They have been built, 
and are conducted, on private speculation, and although the 
whole business is utterly ilicf^al, their proprietors set at defiance 
all notions of shame, or of concealment from the eye of Go- 
vernment. We were not very successful in our attempt. The 
first barracoon at which we called, was empty, and after walk- 
ing- over it, we had only to acknowledge that it was commo- 
dious and airy — for these places, for filthy lucre's sake, are 
intended to be curative of the effects of the middle passage. 
At the second, the keeper, who was the friend of our young 
guide, gave us an equally easy admission. We found in it 
about forty invalid Africans who had just been imported. 
They looked emaciated and melancholy. A child lying on 
a dresser, wrapped in a blanket, was in the article of death. 
The whole scene, with the exception of an idle laugher, was 
one of mute sorrow and suffering — heart-rending to ourselves. 
This barracoon was built to contain one thousand negroes. 
Just at sundown, we arrived at a third of similar size. It is 
close by the garden of Tacon, which is a place of constant 
public resort. It was evidently full of negroes, whose voices 
we distinctly heard. We walked, unbidden, into the court- 
yard, and saw the keeper turn the key of the last lock, after 
having shut them up for the night. Our guide timorously 
approached the scowling master, and begged admission for us 
into the dormitories. He gruffly replied, " No son negros 
aqui" — there are no negroes here. We were therefore obliged 
to retire, not being much disposed to be ourselves incarcerated 
in this den of iniquity. On the grass, outside of the gate, 
however, there were sitting, dressed in coarse shirts marked 
with the letter D, about forty yoimg men — a lot which had just 
been selected and purchased. The buyer was standino- over 
them, with a memorandum-book in his hand, viewing them as 
if they had been oxen. Good cause had he for an attentive 
siirvey of their persons, tor he had probably given $400 or 
$500 per head, for them— from $16,000 to $20,000 for the lot. 
Work them as he mav, we could not conceive that tliis nefa- 

14* 



1 



162 CUBA. 

rious investment in human flesh and blood, could answer his 
pui'pose — especially as so large a proportion of these miserable 
beings die in the seasoning. Our young friends found their 
way to a fourth barracoon, where they saw several hundred 
newly imported children. They were in lean condition, and 
many of them with marks, on their skins, of bruises or blows, 
probably received from rubbing against the pannels of the ves- 
sel, in which they had been unmercifully crammed, like herrings 
in a barrel. We returned to our quarters at night, well satisfied 
Avith having seen these horrors, and with the information which 
a most interesting day had afforded us, but heart-sickened and 
afflicted. O, the unutterable difference between these hapless, 
hopeless, creatures, and the well-conditioned free peasantry of 
Jamaica ! 

The next day was the first of the week. A day of rest and 
worship, it cannot be said to be at Havana. A certain propor- 
tion of the population do, indeed, attend the Roman Catholic 
churches, with a good deal of decency ; but the mass seems to 
be given up to the utter neglect of religious duty. No Protes- 
tant worship is tolerated, not even in the house of the British 
consul. A Friends' meeting may happily be held, by the 
very few, as well as the multitude ; and in a company of six 
persons, at our boarding-house, we were permitted to ex- 
perience some comfort and refreshment, in our usual simple 
mode of worship. We then placed ourselves under the care of 
James Norman, a religious merchant of the city, who led us to 
several of the public institutions — two lunatic asylums, in bad 
order ; a beneficeiicia, or endowed orphan house, in which we 
found about three hundred white children, under pretty good 
tutelage ; an excellent asylum for lepers of all colors ; and,, 
finally, Tacon's prison, which was filled with eight hundred 
criminals — one side of the building being appropriated, to blacks,, 
the other, to whites. The white population of Cuba, as com- 
pared to the black, is said to be as one hundred and thirty to 
one hundred. In the prison, the side allotted to the whites 
appeared to be tlie more crowded of the two.. The pri- 



CUBA. 



163 



soners work on tho vonds and break stones, but. when not at 
work, are locked np, night and day, in large companies, and 
arc left to themselves to grow worse and worse, corrupted, and 
cornipting one another. Wilhin the walls, we observed a rum- 
shop, wliicli <-aiiiiot fai! to accelerate the degenerating process. 
We sincerely felt for an American captain who was sliut np 
with this ruffian multitude. He was once much respected, but 
had been convicted of secreting money on board his vessel, and 
after sixteen months of previous imprisonment, (owing, I believe, 
to his own wisli to delay his trial) had been sentenced to be 
imprisoned hen^ for six years. Miguel de Cabrera kindly un- 
dertook to lay his case before the Queen of Spain ; and we 
hope, notwithstanding his acknowledged guilt, he will soon be 
liberated from his present miserable allotment. The whole 
scene afforded glaring evidences of the low, and even desperate, 
state of morals in this slave trading community. 

In th3 afternoon we were summoned on board the Wliitmore, 
to which we were accompanied by our kind friend, Cabrera, 
and the British Consul. After taking an affectionate leave of 
iheni, we weighed anchor, and so concluded our interestino- 
visit of three days to the city of Havana. Li consequence, 
however, of some little nautical accident, we failed to clear the 
harbor that night, and accordingly availed ourselves of a quiet 
evening, in holding a religious meeting with our passengers, 
apart from all disturbing causes. Early the next morning we 
again passed under ihc frown of the Mora, and commenced our 
voyage to Savannah, in Georgia. 

I know not that I should have troubled thee with this section 
of our narrative, had I not wished to solicit thy attention to a sub- 
ject of deep interest and importance, respecting which this short 
sejour in Cuba, gave us an opportunity of obtaining some infor- 
mation —I mean, American participatio?i in the African slave- 
trade. 

I. T7ie building of the vessels. The slave-traders of Cuba 
require vessels of peculiar powers of speed, and otherwise of a 



164 



CUBA. 



construction suited to the slave-trade. These vessels the Ameri- 
cans are preeminently able to build, having at their command, 
the timber, the capital, and the mechanical skill. The conse- 
quence is that there is the usual correspondence of the supply 
with the demand, and nine-tenths of the vessels employed in the 
Cuba slave-trade, have of late years been built in America — 
chiefly at Baltimore. There cannot be the least doubt that the 
builders are aware of their intended purpose, the construction of 
them being decidedly distinguished from the usual form of mer- 
chant ships. Often they are made to the order of the Spanish 
slave-trading houses in Cuba, and when built, belong to those 
houses. Nevertheless, they are furnished with American regis- 
ters, and sail to Havana, under American colors. This of 
course is a fraudulent transaction. In many other cases, they 
are sent to Cuba on speculation ; and on their arrival there, 
are sold to the slave-traders as required. 

II. The abuse of the American flag. The treaty of Great 
Britain with Spain, A. D. 1835, renders vessels under the 
Spanish flag, seizable as slavers, even when they have no slaves 
on board, if they are fitted up, for the traffic, with the usual distin- 
guishing articles. These are shackles, cutlasses, gunpowder, 
false decks, gratings, a superfluity of water casks, extra supplies 
of provisions, &c. &c. Precisely the same regulations, by a late 
act of Parliament, are made to apply to Portugal. Before that 
act was passed, the Spanish slave-traders, in order to avoid the 
eflfect of this provision in the treaty, constantly made use of 
Portuguese colors and papers. These are often forged at Ha- 
vana, or otherwise obtained and used in a ficticious and fraudu- 
lent manner. Notwithstanding the act of Parliament relative 
to Portugal, the flag of that nation is still preferred to that of 
Spain ; because when captured under the Spanish flag, the 
slavers are brought under the notice of the joint-commission court 
in Havana, and when they are condemned, the parties are heavily 
fined. The Spanish authorities take care to be well feed for 
the vessels captured, as well as for the slaves successfully import- 
ed, and cover their connivance at the traflSc, by punishing it se- 



CUBA. 166 

verely, when it is detected. Nevertheless,, as neither the Spanish 
nor the Portuguese flag now aflbrd any protection from the Brit- 
ish cruisers, recourse is had, to the greatest possible extent, to 
the flag- of the United States. 

This object is effected by various contrivances. When an 
American-built vessel is sold to a slave-trading house in Ha- 
vana, it is often fra^udulently transferred at that port, from the 
master to the mate, and proceeds to Africa under command of 
the latter, and with American colors and papers. After obtain- 
ing the wished-for supply of slaves (during which process it 
still maintains its Americanism) it assumes its Portuguese phase, 
for which it is secretly prepared at Havana, and returns at a 
venture, to Cuba — using all its speed, to elude the British 
cruisers. On the return voyage, the mate becomes ostensibly 
a passenger, but in fact retains his command of the vessel. 

Another contrivance for retaining the American flag, up to 
the same point in the iniquitous process, is that of purchasing 
the Baltimore ship or clipper, deliverable on the coast of Africa — 
half the prixie being paid when the bargain is struck, and the 
other half on her delivery. Under this arrangement, she of 
course clears out for Africa,, with her American registers and 
under the flag of the Union. When she arrives on the African 
coast, her registers are cut in halves, and. returned by any two 
conveyances which may offer, to the grantors ; and again the 
Portuguese jo/ia5e is assumed, for the return voyage. 

in. Aid given hy American merchanttnen. If, after all, 
these slave-ships sail from Havana for Africa, under the Spanish 
or Portuguese flag, they have still another method left of eluding 
the force of the treaty, or act of Parliament, already described. 
It is to leave behind them those fittings up, and distinguishing 
articles, which would lead to their condemnation. In the mean 
time, these are conveyed by American merchant ships, which 
Gome to Havana in ballast, to the slave depots on the African 
coast, where the Spanish slaver, after an uninterrupted voyage, 
finds her needful furniture and supplies, ready for her use. And 
with what cargoes do these American. merchant ships (which I 



166 CUBA. 

presume are constructed for the purpose) return from the African 
coast ? Generally, with cargoes of bultos — bales — living rational 
beings from Africa, whom thejr convey to the Spanish colonies — 
or sometimes probably to Texas — or possibly even to some safe 
and hidden resort, within the boundary of your own Union. 
Thou wilt recollect that the slaver. Hound, which landed three 
hundred and seventy-two slaves in Porto Rico, and the schoon- 
er we saw in Antigua, which had performed a similar errand, 
were both American, and under American colors. Eighteen 
such vessels, have lately been reported nominati'm, by the agents 
of the Colonization Society, as observed on the African coast, 
in the act of carrying on the slave trade. 

IV. The involvmenf of the consular office. The sale of Ameri- 
can vessels, at Havana, to the slave traders in that city, whether 
immediate or deliverable at the coast of Africa^ — the transfer of 
them from masters to mates — and finally the clearing cut of 
any vessel under your flag, from Havana for Africa — are all of 
them transactions which necessarily come under the official 
notice of the American consulate at that port. We were in- 
formed that the late consul was doubly cognizant of them, 
because the other side of some of these transactions, must have 
come before him in his capacity of Portuguese agent. But 
cognizance does not prove guilt, and the real question is, 
whether, under these circumstances, he availed himself of all 
his opportunities and powers, in order to put a stop to these 
iniquities. We may charitably hope, that this was the case. 
I was however grieved to observe, that a public defender of 
N. P. Trist, in a late anonymous pamphlet published at Boston, 
acknowledges that the late consul entertains doubts " whether 
the slave trade, considered in itself, is not a positive benefit to 
its supposed victims." This is a dangerous state of mind for 
any British or American resident in Havana. I venture, with 
great deference, to remark, that no persons ought to be permitted 
to occupy your consular office, in that place, who are not 
plaxied far above the reach of Cuban douceurs, not only by 



CUBA. 167 

common honesty, but by a deep, determined, and unalterable, 
abhorrence of the slave trade in itself. 

V. The application of capital. That a considerable 
capital is employed in the different modes of aiding the slave 
trade v/hich have now been described, and especially in the 
building of vessels, cannot be denied. But it is commonly 
reported, I fear not without some foundation, that in some of 
your commercial cities, American capital is invested in the trade 
itself — that some unworthy citizens of your republic, are actual 
and direct participants, both in the carrying on, and in the 
profits, of this abominable traffic. It appears then first, that a 
large proportion of the vessels engaged in the Cuban slave trade, 
are built in the ports of the United States — secondly, that the 
American flag is borrowed by the Spanish slave traders to a 
large extent — thirdly, that American merchantmen are engaged, 
on their own account, in conveying the materials of the slave 
trade to the coast of Africa — fourthly, that most of these trans- 
actions pass under the official review of your consulate at 
Havana — and fifthly, that American capital is indirectly — possi- 
bly, directly — engaged in the slave trade to an indefinite extent. 

I have now laid the whole case before thee, as it has come 
within my own scope of observation and enquiry, and I trust 
I have done so, with clearness and moderation. When I have 
stated the same case verbally, to some of the leading men of 
America, I have been reminded by them of the inconsistency 
of Englishmen. Certain it is, that the articles used in the 
slave trade, and often transmitted to Africa on American bot- 
toms, are manufactured in England, and employ a large amount 
of British capital. The lamentable fact is, that filthy lucre, is 
often found too strong for moral principle, on both sides the 
water. But this, my dear friend, is surely no aflair of national 
rivalry. It is one under the weight of which,^ the petty jealousy 
of politics, and even the pride of an honest patriotism, ought 
to subside into nothing. The virtuous public of both nations, 
and the governments of both nations, ought surely to unite, 



168 CUBA. 

with the utmost cordiality, in their endeavors to extinguish 
the most inordinate system of cruelty and wickedness that ever 
stained the annals of mankind. Let America and England fully 
join issue on this momentous subject — and the work is done. 

In the mean time, something may, I trust, be effected, by 
legislative enactment. It seems very desirable first, that the 
laws against building ships evidently calculated for the slave 
trade, and only for this purpose, should be rendered as clear 
and stringent as possible ; secondly, that the consular office at 
Havana, should be armed with greater powers, to stop these 
iniquitous proceedings in transitu. Such were the conclusions 
to which our own observation and reflection had brought us ; 
and we were rejoiced to find, when at Washington, that a bill 
for these very purposes, had been introduced to Congress, by 
our worthy friend John Davis, Senator from Massachusetts. 
I am told that it has since passed into a law. But we con- 
ceive that preventive measures on the coast of Africa, are 
still more important. We were informed, on high authority, at 
Washington, that it was the indefinite extent only, to which 
the mutual right of search was granted under the presidency of 
Monroe, that was found to be inconvenient, and led to a 
change of system on the part of this countiy ; and that had 
this mutual right been confined to certain limits near the 
African coast, no objection would ever have been m,ade to it. 
Such being tlie facts of the case, I would venture to suggest to 
thy calm consideration, whether within these safe limits, the 
provision in question might not yet be conceded. There can 
be no doubt that such a measure, more than almost any other, 
would facilitate the suppression of the odious traffic. May I 
venture to entreat thee, to make use of the weight of thy own 
influence, in favor of the affirmative settlement of this essential 
point ? 

Before I leave the subject of Cuba, I think it right to remark, 
that all persons who visit that island, must be aware of the dis- 
tinction between the newly imported slaves, and those who 
have been born on the island, or have been long employed in 



CtfBA. 169 

the service of their masters. The former, called Bozales, being 
illegally introduced, are not regarded, by the laws of Spain, 
as the property of their holders. In the much agitated case of 
the Amistad, the decision of the local courts of Connecticut, 
against the delivering up of the slaves, was grounded, as I 
understand, on the fact that these persons were not Ladinos — 
i. e. true Cuban slaves — but Bozales, who are no slaves at all, 
in the eye of the Spanish law. Now we are aware that an 
appeal has been made, against that decision, to the Supreme 
Court of the United States. I would remark, that should the 
decree be reversed, it would have the injurious effect of giving 
the sanction of the highest legal tribunal of this country, to 
that shameful traffic by which these miserable men were 
brought into illegal bondage — into the condition of Bozales ; 
iand thus the co-operation of unworthy citizens of the Union, 
in promoting that traffic, would be encouraged and confirmed. 
That so great a calamity may be averted, must be the earnest 
desire of all who wish well to the cause of justice and hu- 
manity. 

I am, <fcc., &c. 



15 



LETTER XIV. 



RETURN TO AMERICA. 



Providence^ R. I. Seventh-month {July) Sc?, 1840. 

My BBJLS Friend, 

In order to bring our narrative to a satisfactory close, I must 
make a few remarks respecting our voyage home, which none 
of our company are in much danger of forgetting. This was 
a time, generally speaking, of quiet enjoyment ; though we 
could not but watch with some sorrow and anxiety, the apparent 
descent of our two invalids, one of each sex, towards "the valley 
of the shadow of death." Our course, for the first day, lay to 
the eastward, and gave us the opportunity of surveying a con- 
siderable part of the northern coast of Cuba. We obtained a 
good view of the entrance of the harbor of Matanzas, about 
fifty miles east of Havana. The mountains which rise behind 
it, are of greater elevation than any land in Cuba, which we 
had before seen. One of them, remarkable for its square 
outline, recalls the idea of a loaf of bread, and is called, " El 
pan de Matanzas." We now took our last leave of Cuba, and 
turned towards the north-east, our course lying through the 
channel which separates the dangerous shores of Florida, from 
the still more fatal rocks of the Bahama Islands. The wind 
was contrary, and we should have made slow progress, as we 
beat along from one side of the channel to another, had it not 
been for the Gulph Stream, which some of us had, more than 
once, encountered as an enemy, but which now proved an 
effective friend, in impelling us forward, four knots in the hour, 
in our right course, by the mere force of its current. This 
stream, is by the mariners, technically called the " Gulph ;" 



RETURN TO AMERICA. 171 

and the following portrait of it, which sen^'ed to amuse some 
of our company, is said to be exact. 

Of all the creatures here below 

Or virtuous, or vicious, 
O Gulph of gulphs, full well we know, 

Thou art the most capricious. 
We have seen thee locked in a hopeless calm, 

And tossed with waves prodigious, 
We have felt thy gentle breeze's balm, 

And thy fitful blast litigious. 
We have shuddered at thy ugly frown, 

When all thy soul was spiteful. 
And have watched thy malice melting down, 

To radiant smiles delightful. 
One moment — all thy charm is gone, 

Thy looks are most distressing ; 
The next — thou hast thy dimples on, 

Each sailor-boy caressing. 
We have stood aghast at thy leaden vest, 

Thy darksome shroud of mourning — 
In ultra-marine, we have seen thee dressed, 

The heaven and earth adorning. 
Thy bosom boils With love or hatCf 

As thy restless passions waver ; 
Thy voice is the thunder of regal state, 

Or a gentle lady-like quaver. 
O Queen ! of Premier, under thy reign, 

Some conjurer holds the station ; 
His name, we take it, is Legerdemain, 

And thine is Transmutation. 

Such are the notorious uncertainties of the Gulph Stream ; 
and in the channel through which we were now passing, sea- 
men are often exposed to danger. Many a wreck takes place 
on either side of it, and only a few days before our voyage, a 
vessel of considerable size, was found, bottom upwards, on the 
coast of Florida. 

For ourselves we passed along, though slowly, yet safely, 
and found leisure to reflect, that the shores, on either side, were 



172 RETURN TO AMERICA. 

marked by circumstances of a most interesting character. As 
the low green coast, or keys, of Florida, were gradually deve- 
loped in our view, it was impossible not to mourn over the 
Seminole war, undertaken against the unhappy aborigines of 
the soil, in the support, as we fear, of slavery, conducted at 
an immense expense of blood and treasure, and now carried 
on (strange recurrence to ancient barbarism !) by the interven- 
tion of blood-hounds. The subject, so afflicting in its own 
particular features, was of course connected in our minds with 
a general view of that melancholy topic, the maltreatment of 
the native Indians of North America — witness the cruel banish- 
ment of the Cherokees, of Georgia, and the projected expatria- 
tion of the Senecas of New- York, under the color of fraudu- 
lent treaties, and at the expense of every principle of justice 
and mercy. I am confident that thy sentiments, on these 
subjects, are in perfect agreement with our own. 

Our view of the Bahamas was a very distant one ; but it 
was enough to remind us of the excellent accounts which we 
had received, through Sir William Colebrooke, of the favorable 
working- of freedom in those islands. Sir William was their 
Governor, before he undertook the more important charge of 
the Leeward Islands ; and while we were with him in Antigua, 
he received, from a friend whom he had left behind him, the 
accounts to which we allude. It appears that a large number 
of recaptured Africans are now settled, as free laborers, on the 
Island of New Providence, and are conducting themselves 
well. The same may be said of the former slaves or appren- 
tices, who are located chiefly on the outer islands of the group. 
Friendly societies, and other benevolent institutions, are pros- 
pering ; and free grown cotton is now produced, in the Baha- 
mas, under the care of the descendants of American loyalists, 
who settled in that colony, at the time of the revolution. 

I am reminded by this mention of the Bahamas, of our friend 
J. C. Calhoun's argument, in the Senate, on the subject of the 
Comet, the Encomium, and the Enterprise, one of which ves- 
sels was, if I mistake not, driven by stress of weather, into a 



RETURN TO AMERICA. 173 

port of the Bermudas, and the other two wrecked on the Baha- 
mas — each containing American slaves, on their passage from 
one of your slave states to another. As I have not his speech 
of which he kindly gave me a copy, now before me, I may not 
be accurate in my recollection of the particulars ; but I think 
that, in all the cases, the -slaves were allowed, by the British 
authorities of the islands, to avail themselves of the law of the 
land, and to go free — that, after a long negociation, compensa- 
tion was made by our Government for those which were on 
board the Comet and Encomium, and refused for those in the 
Enterprise— and that this distinction was grounded on the cir- 
cumstance that the two former cases had occurred before, and 
the last case, after, the British act of emancipation. J. C. 
Calhoun's argument on the subject, is both interesting and inge- 
nious. In the first place he plainly shows it to be a settled 
point, in the law of nations, that when vessels belonging to any 
nation, are driven by stress of weather into the ports or on to 
the coasts, of a friendly power, the agents of that power are 
bound to protect the property which they contain, and to deliver 
it up or make compensation, for it, to its rightful owners. He 
then argues that, the law of nations cannot change with the 
municipal laws of individual states ; and therefore,, that if 
Great Britain was bound by the above mentioned principle of 
international jurisprudence, to make compensation for wrecked 
American slaves, before her own act of Emancipation, she was 
equally bound to do so, after that act. 

All this is very clear ;. but there is the previous question to 
be settled, whether the law of nations does in any case, regard, 
living human beings, as the property of other persons. If it 
does, why is not England bound to restore to America, the 
runaway slaves who find their way mto Canada ; and to France, 
the fugitives who come over on aloe-rafts from Guadaloupe to 
Dominica;; and to Denmark, the happy beings who paddle across 
the water,, at night, fi:om St. Thomas or St. John's, to free Tor- 
tola ? For my own part, I conceive that the law of nations re- 
gards these persons as a third party., possessing distinct rights 

15* 



174 RETURN TO AMERICA. 

of their own. Professing as it does to derive its authority from 
the law of God, it is, in its own nature, incapable of giving 
countenance to the notion that rational human beings may- 
be treated as dumb insensible chattels. 

If this is a correct view of the case, I think we must conclude 
that when Great Britain made compensation for the slaves 
wrecked in the Comet and Encomium, she acted, not in compli- 
ance with the law of nations, but merely out of shame; because 
before her own act of emancipation, she was herself acknowledg- 
ing the property of man in man. But no sooner was this act 
passed, than she rose to the level of the law of nations, in de- 
nying the rightful possibility of any such property. From 
that time forward therefore, she had nothing more to do with 
making compensation, even to the dearest of her allies, for 
wrecked, or runaway, slaves. 

I trust that these remarks, on subjects of high practical im- 
portance, suggested by the circumstances of our voyage, will 
meet, on thy part, with the usual kind reception. But it was 
.not our allotment to pass the whole of our time at sea in easy 
pleasures^ and tranquil reflections. On the 18th of the Fourth- 
month, (April,) when we were about fifty miles south of Savan- 
nah, we were overtaken by a fearful storm. About eight o'clock 
in the evening, we observed some dark clouds over the horizon 
and summer-like lightning playing^ to the North and West; 
and the moon soon afterwards rose of a blood red color. For 
some time, we imagined that the clouds were gradually dispers-. 
ing, and we hoped that the electric fluid which was much dif- 
fused through the atmosphere, would aflford us only a succes- 
sion of beauties to admire. But after about two hours had 
elapsed, these hopes were annihilated. The clouds met over 
our heads, and veiled the moon in deep d-arkness ; the rain- 
poured down in torrents ; the ship flew before the wind ; and 
a-wful flashes of forked lightning, with thunder immediately 
following, gave ample proof, that the weapons of " heaven's 
artillery,'' were nigh at hand— even at our doors. Never before 
had we witnessed such a war of the elements ; but our skillful 



RETURN TO AMERICA. 175 

captain had foreseen our trouble, and our well- prepared ship, 
with her smallest amount of canvass, moved along steadily. 
The discharges of lightning, however, and crashes of thunder, 
became more and more tremendous, when suddenly the vessel 
received a terrible shock. Almost all the sailors were knocked 
down, and as soon as they could find their feet, rushed into the 
cabin for safety ; one was dragged in, lightning struck, 
whether to live or die, we knew not. The captain himself 
received a stroke which left black traces on his legs. Either 
a blazing rope, or the appearance of it in electric fluid, was 
seen falling on the deck ; a violent smell of sulphur assailed 
us ; both the upper and lower cabins were filled with smoke, 
and it was the general belief and cry, that the ship was on fire. 
At the same time the cook ran into the cabin, and told us that 
the hold of the ship (for we were in ballast) was filling rapidly 
with water. Although our large company was preserved in a 
good measure of quietness, we could no longer conceal from 
ourselves that we now were in circumstances of extreme dan- 
ger. But beyond this climax, we were not permitted to pass. 
The ship was searched, and no fire was discovered ; the water in 
■ the hold was found to have flowed only from the hatch way ; 
the sulphurous smell and smoke gradually vanished ; the 
storm, after raging for about an hour, rapidly subsided ; the 
sky became clear ; the moon regained her ascendancy ; our 
poor stricken sailor began to recover ; and we were left in quiet 
possession of ourselves — body and mind unhurt. The next 
morning we soon detected the effects of the lightning. The 
sails were pierced with holes,, some boxes were demolished, a 
considerable piece of timber was forced out of the deck, the 
main-mast was cracked, and the maintop gallant and royal 
yards, shivered. Surely we had cause for humble thankfulness 
to the God of nature and of grace — the Controler of storms 
and thunderbolts, and the Preserver of men. 

To us it was an agreeable circumstance, that the day after 
.the storm, was the first of the week. At the appointed hour, 
the ship's company, including the sailars,, assembled on deck. 



176 RETURN TO AMERICA. 

under no common feelings of seriousness. The fortieth chap- 
ter of Isaiah was read to us. Thou wilt perhaps recollect that 
it begins with the exhortation, " Comfort ye, comfort ye my 
people ;" and ends with the cheering declaration that, " they 
who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall 
mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be 
weary, and they shall walk and not faint." Afterwards the 
whole company fell into silence ; and during the solemn hour 
which ensued, we were reminded of the words of the poet — 

Unfathomable wonder, 

And mystery divine ; 
The voice that speaks in thunder. 

Says, Christian, I am thine. 

We were now on soundings, near the coast of Georgia, and 
on the morrow, Fourth-month (April) 20th, arrived, in peace 
and safety, at the city of Savannah. So ended, just five months 
after its commencement, our instructive and interesting West 
Indian voyage. 

In concluding this series of letters, for the freedom of which 
I am ready to make all due apology, I feel disposed to re- 
mind thee of the declaration of Scripture, that the " heavens 
and the earth" shall " wax old as a garment," and that " as a 
vesture" God shall fold them up ; and " they shall be changed." 
" All the host of heaven," says the prophet Isaiah, " shall be 
dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll ; 
and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from 
the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree." " But the day 
of the Lord," says the Apostle Peter, " will come as a thief in 
the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a 
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fei-vent heat, and 
the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned 
up." Again, " the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and 
the elements shall melt with fervent heat." Then,, my dear 
friend, we shall all stand " before the judgment-seat of Christ." 
The steward shall render up the account of his stewardship ; 



RETURN TO AMERICA. 177 

arid every one of us must receive, at the holy hands of the Judge 
of all flesh, " according to the deeds done in his body, whether 
they be good, or whether they be bad." Earnest and affection- 
ate are my desires that the distinguished individual to whom 
these letters are addressed, may then be found to have cleared 
himself from all stain of slavery. Fervently do I crave that, 
in that awful day, he may be known to have acted faithfully, 
during his declining years, in promoting its total extinction, in 
all his several relations ; — first, as the head of a private family ; 
secondly, as the most influential individual in the state of Ken- 
tucky ; thirdly, as the enlightened statesman and patriot of the 
North American Federal Union ; and lastly, as the friend of all 
mankind, the citizen of the world at large. Justly applicable 
to our whole race — to men of every country, clime, and color — 
is the fundamental principle of your noble constitution, " All 
men are created equal, and are endowed by the Creator with 
certain inalienable rights — among which are life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness." 

With much respect and deference, I now bid thee my last 
farewell. 

I am, &c. &c. 



APPENDIX A. 



LETTER PROM DR. DAVY, GUSTOS OF MANCHESTER, 

ADDRESSED TO S. W. GRANT, STIPENDIARY 

MAGISTRATE. 

Devon Penn, August 20, 1839. 

" Sir, — You ask my opinion as to the state of things at the 
expiration of the first year of freedom. I give it with much 
satisfaction, because I from the first had favorable anticipations ; 
the result, so far as my observation and experience extend, has 
issued in a far greater measure of success than I hoped, or con- 
sidered possible. 

"When I consider how general the impression was, that 
during the first year nothing would be done by the laborers — 
that, in fact, the crops would be lost ; when I remember with 
what confidence, confusion and outrage were predicted, and 
thefts and all kinds of crime were anticipated ; when I contrast 
these impressions and these anticipations of evil, with the actual 
state of things at the present moment, I feel justified in assert- 
ing that, whether it be tested by the best hopes of the most san- 
guine, or by the worst fears of the most desponding, an unexpect- 
ed measure of success has attended the first year of freedom. 

" I speak of circumstances which have come under my own 
observation, and I am bound to say that the conduct of the 
peasantry has been most exemplary — their demeanor is most 
respectful — and their moral improvement most striking. 

" The records of our local courts, and of our courts of quar- 
ter sessions, prove an extraordinary diminution of crime. 



ISO 

" In my intercourse with them, I find them honest in their 
deahngs, faithful and diligent in the performance of their duties, 
and the fulfilment of their contracts. 

" With respect to the labor performed, I verily believe that 
more labor has been done, but by fewer hands, than during the 
latter part of the apprenticeship. Properties are not only 
cleaner, than they were at the corresponding period last year, 
but 1 believe pruning has been very generally effected. 

" With reference to property under my immediate superin- 
tendence, work has been completed which could not have been 
attempted. In addition to pruning and cleaning coffee, I have 
been able to build and rebuild stone walls, to clean pastures, 
and to reopen those that had gone into a state of ruinate. 

" In the payment of rent, I find the people honest and punc- 
tual. This is a matter which (as might have been expected) 
created some confusion and misunderstanding at first, but I 
believe now there are few instances, where it is made a money 
charge on fair and legal terms, that much difficulty is expe- 
rienced in its collection. 

" Under these circumstances, I hesitate not to say that much, 
very much, has already been gained by the abandonment of 
the apprenticeship, and the substitution of free and unrestricted 
freedom, and that if we continue to progress in the same ratio, 
people will be compelled to rejoice in the change. 

" It may not be useless to observe under what disadvantages, 
whatever of success has attended the past year, has been ob- 
tained. Political disputes with the mother country, have 
agitated the proprietary body, and calumnies the most ground- 
less, and vituperation the most violent, have been directed 
against the laborers, who, in the absence of effective laws or 
physical force to direct or restrain them, have conducted them- 
selves in a quiet, peaceable, and honest manner." 



APPENDIX B. 



RECONCILIATION RESPECTFULLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL 

PARTIES IN THE COLONY OF JAMAICA, IN A 

LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE PLANTERS. 

The prosperity of Jamaica is unquestionably an object of 
equally deep interest to persons, in other respects, of very dif- 
ferent views — persons who are ranged on opposite sides of 
politics even at the present time, and who, during the agitation 
of the great question of the abolition of British colonial slavery, 
were often brought into severe conflict with each other. Those 
were days of peculiar excitement ; and it is possible that on 
both sides of the question, ruffled temper may sometimes have 
led to angry and extravagant expression, and even to exagge- 
rated statement. But on a calm review of the system which is 
now happily exterminated, I presume we are all prepared to 
allaw that, both in its origin and operation, it was opposed to 
the rule of right — that although often kindly conducted, it was 
liable to fearful occasional abuse — and that a deliverance from 
it is a blessing, in various important respects, to all the parties 
concerned. 

As matters now stand, it is surely desirable that slavery, with 
its whole vocabulary, and with all the angry feelings to which 
it gave rise, should, so far as relates to the British colonies, be 
buried in oblivion, and that Jamaica should hereafter be treated 
and thought of only as a colony of free men, of different com- 
plexions indeed, but of equal rights and privileges, as citizens 

16 



182 ' 

of the British empire. This grand truth being in the first 
place settled — fully and freely acknowledged and appreciated 
— it follows, as a clear consequence, that all classes of the 
community ought now to unite, heart and hand, in promoting 
the prosperity of this noble colony. 

Prosperity is a word of large meaning ; — it embraces the 
intellectual, moral, and spiritual, as well as temporal; welfare 
of the people ; but for the pre^nt I confine my remarks to 
temporal welfare. All parties ought now to unite in promoting 
the coming of the day (as I believe not far distant, for we 
already see the dawn of it) when the merchantmen which 
frequent the harbors of Jamaica, shall be multiplied — when her 
staple productions of sugar and cofifee shall more than recover 
their former amount — when abundance of free-gro\\ai cotton 
shall be added to the list — when vegetable provisions shall be 
poured forth, at a cheap rate, from the mountains into the 
towns — when flocks of sheep, as well as yet larger herds of 
oxen and kine, shall cover the pastures — when, in fact, one of 
the most favored and delightful spots on the globe, shall be 
distinguished by a corresponding superiority in the wealth and 
substantial comfort of its inhabitants. 

This great object cannot be otherwise than interesting — 
Firsts to the planters, whether residents on the island or absen- 
tees, whether proprietors of the soil, or tenants of estates, or 
managers only of the property of others. Their profits ob- 
viously depend on the success of our great experiment — on 
the realizing of the desired result. 

*S6condlp. to the merchants and storekeepers. The thrift of 
these persons, depends on the thrift of others— their increase 
of wealth, on a corresponding increase of it throughout the 
population. 

Thirdly, to the laborers. To speak of the prosperity of Ja- 
maica, is chiefly to speak of their prosperity, for they and their 
families constitute nine-tenths of the whole community. It is 
delio-htful to believe that their domestic comforts are increased 

O 

and increasing, or rather multiplied and multiplying, under 



183 

freedom— most gratifying to visit their little freeholds in many- 
parts of the island, and to know that even now, as a body, they 
are by no means destitute of wealth. But experience amply 
proves, that by far the surest resource, for the maintenance and 
improvement of these privileges, is regular wages for regular 
work. Upon the prosperity of their employers, therefore, es- 
sentially depends their own. 

Fourthly^ and lastly, to the abolitionists— to those of every 
rank and class, who long, pray, and labor, for the extinction of 
slavery all the world over. The eyes of France, Denmark, 
Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and, above all. North America, are 
fixed on the British West-Indian colonies, and chiefly on 
Jamaica. It is of primary importance to the cause of freedom 
under all these governments, that Jamaica should prosper. I 
mean, prosper pecuniarily. It is in vain that we address argu- 
ments on the plea of moral or religious principle alone, to per- 
sons who have long been habituated to slaveholding. as part 
and parcel of their circumstances, and almost of their existence. 
We must at the same time make an appeal to their self-interest. 
We must prove, by the example of such a region as Jamaica, 
that free labor is more economical and productive than slave 
labor, and that the just and equal liberty of all the citizens of 
a state, has an unfailing tendency to increase its wealth, '^■ 

If the view now taken is correct— and I believe it cannot 
be disputed — it certainly follows that planters, merchants, la- 
borers, and philanthropists, are bound by the most obvious 
principles of reason and common sense, to unite their efforts 
in promoting the prosperity of Jamaica. 

There is, however, a specific point which, at the present 
time, peculiarly demands such an union of effort. I mean 
the prevention of the proposed equalization of the sugar duties. 
The duty now levied in England, on sugars not produced in 
our own colonies, amounts to a prohibition ; and thus the 
whole market of our country is open exclusively to the sugar 
growers of those colonies. Once equalize that prohibitory duty 
with the lower duty charged on the sugar produced in these 



184 

islands, and immediately there will be a vast influx into Great 
Britain and Ireland, of the sugars of Cuba, Brazil, Louisiana, 
&.C. The inevitable consequence will be that the sugars of 
Jamaica will lose their market, or will fall to a price which 
cannot remunerate the planter. The next link in the chain of 
disaster will be a large one. The planter will withdraw from 
the production of sugar, and will undergo great difficulty in 
his attempts to apply his grounds and apparatus to any other 
purpose. In the meantime the laborer will lose his employ- 
ment and his wages ; the merchant and shopkeeper will find 
their resources of profit suddenly cut off; and, lastly, the aboli- 
tionist will discover, to his dismay, that a fresh impetus of vast 
force is given to slavery and the slave-trade, by the opening of 
a new market of incalculable value, to the producers of slave- 
grown sugar. Let not the reader for a moment imagine that 
this view of the effect of the proposed equalization, is grounded 
on the notion that slave labor is superior, in point of cheapness, 
to free labor. Abundant are the evidences which have been 
afforded me, both here and in other islands of the West Indies, 
that the contrary is the fact. But there is a vast difference in 
different regions, as to the capacity of producing sugar at a 
cheap rate ; and long before freedom was enacted, the protect- 
ing duties were in force, to prevent a ruinous competition be- 
tween the sugars of Jamaica, &c., and the chea/per article 
produced in Cuba and elsewhere. There is said to be a great 
saving to the colonists of Cuba and Porto Rico, in the expense 
of producing sugar, not only from the peculiar nature of the 
soil, which requires, for its cultivation, a small comparative 
amount of labor, but from the inexpensive character of their 
buildings and works ; also from the circumstance that the pro- 
prietors are generally resident on the spot ; and there is reason 
to believe that these persons are satisfied with a lower rate of 
profit than falls to the lot of the British proprietor. When the 
energies of freedom are fully developed, they will, I trust, 
enable Jamaica to cope even with those natural inequalities, 



185 

which, at present, give an advantage to other sugar-growing 
regions. 

In the meantime it is evidently incumbent on the planters 
and the abolitionists, to lay aside their former jealousies, and 
to unite in petitioning parliament against the proposed equaliza- 
tion. Their joint appeal, supported as it obviously is by the 
common principles of justice, as well as those of mercy, could 
scarcely fail to be effectual. With regard to the laborers, they 
ought to be informed how greatly the success of such an appeal 
must depend upon their exertions. The consequence of a 
diminished supply of sugar from our colonies, is the undue rise 
©f the price of the article at home. Then follows, on the part 
of a vast manufacturing and agricultural population, a most 
natural clamor for cheap sugar ; and from that clamor may as 
naturally arise a yielding on the part of our rulers, and, 
finally, the equalization af the duties, with all its^ fearful results. 
Here then is a stimulus to continuous labor in the production 
of sugar, which may most legitimately be brought home to the 
understanding and feeling of every peasant in the West Indies. 
I am confident that thousands of them in Jamaica, would 
prove themselves to be very much alive to such a stimulus. 
They are not only watchful over their own interests, but know 
how to feel for the woes of their brethren in other parts of the 
world. 

In thus stating the grounds on which I feel the necessity of 

a hearty union of all parties in Jamaica, in promoting the 

temporal welfare of the island, I am far from intending to 

insinuate that the elements of prosperity, in this colony, are 

not already powerfully at work. — That they are at work, under 

the sway of freedom, to an extent, and with an energy, which 

will soon produce conspicuous results, I have not the smallest 

doubt. Numerous are the aclmowledgments which I have 

myself received from planters, both of sugar and coffee, that 

the present diminution of produce on their estates has arisen 

from causes which have now ceased, or are subsiding ; and 

that they are looking forward toa decided increase of produc- 

16* 



186 

tion for the future. In the mean time, new houses are build- 
ing, new villages appearmg, the towns improving, trade 
increasing, the mass of the population flourishing, the imports 
nearly doubling themselves, property rising in value, and the 
cultivated parts of the country wearing an appearance of clean- 
liness and order, in connection with fair crops, which bespeaks 
any thing rather than decay and ruin. — These indications are 
exceedingly cheering. At the same time, it cannot be denied 
that many parts of Jamaica are still grievously perplexed by a 
want of a good understanding between parties^ i. e. between 
the planters, on the one hand, and the laborers and their support- 
ers and advisers (call them, if you please, the abolitionists) on 
the other. 

What then can be more obviously desirable, than the removal 
of all misunderstandings, and a perfect and absolute reconcilia- 
tion between these parties 1 That matters, in this respect, are 
already ameliorated, cannot be doubted. The silent influence 
of a common interest has already been found efficacious, to a 
great extent, in quelling the heats of passion and prejudice, and 
in inducing better feelings and juster views of each other, 
both in masters and servants. But mischief is still at work ; 
and the discord which continues to subsist must cease and be 
extinguished, before Jamaica can prosper in the degree which 
her unquestionable resources fairly lead us to anticipate. 

Now, in order to this perfect reconciliation and good under- 
standing, we must all endeavor to lay aside the feelings of 
prejudice and animosity ; to bear and forbear one with another, 
and to put the Ijest construction in our power on each other's 
actions. — But deeply as I feel the importance of such a course, 
nothing is farther from my view than to recommend concessions 
of principle. The more I reflect on the sul^ject, the more 
satisfied I am that such concessions would only involve an 
increase of perplexity and distress. The rule of right, is the 
rule of safety, and the road to peace. 

The ground for that unity of purpose and action, which 
would so greatly promote the prosperity of this colony, must be. 



187 

laid in those broad principles which none can deny, and must 
be cleared by the removal of all infractions of pure justice, in 
whatsoever quarter these may have arisen, and in whatsoever 
direction they may be operating. 

Since my lot has been cast on this island, I have taken many 
opportunities, in large public assemblies of the people, of impress- 
ing upon the peasantry, the Christian duty of rendering unto 
all men their due ; and especially of giving fair work for fair 
wages. I have endeavored to show them that this fair work, 
which justice requires at their hands, is not only work well 
performed in the detail, but that measure of continuoiis labor 
for which their services are hired, and which they know to be 
necessary in the cultivation of the staple articles exported from 
this colony. I must do them the justice to say that, so far as 
my observation has extended, they are alive to this moral view 
of the case ; for I have with pleasure observed that these senti- 
ments, when fairly laid before them, have met, on their parts, 
with an intelligent and friendly acquiescence. I wish to avoid 
any exaggerated statement on this subject ; but from the nume- 
rous testimonies which I have received, from most respectable 
members of your body, I think I am justified in the conclusion, 
that the peasantry of this island have a better understanding 
now, than they had a year ago, of their true position, and of 
the duties required at their hands ; and that, for the most part, 
they are working, both on the sugar and coffee estates, to the 
increasing satisfaction of their employers. I have lately been 
enafaofed in a visit to several of the islands to the windward — ■ 
Tortola, St. Christopher's, Antigua, and Dominica ; and I am 
happy to inform you that in these and the neighboring islands, 
the peasantry are working well — I may almost say, without 
any exception. I trust that the same good report may now be 
made, to a very great extent, of the people of Jamaica ; and 
that the exceptions which still exist, may be traced to peculiar 
circumstances which will soon disappear and be forgotten. In 
the mean time, I consider it to be a duty incumbent on all pas- 
tors and teachers of the laboring class, whether Churchmen or 



188 

Dissenters, to impress upon their minds their moral obligations 
as cultivators of the soil ; to explain to them on what grounds, 
and in what way, they are required, in the sight of the Judge 
of all flesh, to render to their employers, fair work for fair 
Avages. 

Having thus stated fully the view which I take of the justice 
of the case, as it relates to the laborers, I am confident you will 
kindly bear with me, while I endeavor to develop what I believe 
to be the rule of right, as it regards the land owner, the planter, 
the employer. I make this attempt under the feelings of respect 
and Christian charity, and with ardent good wishes for your 
temporal, as well as spiritual welfare. 

We all Imow that the abolition of slavery, by the imperial 
act of emancipation, was total, that it bestows upon the people 
once in bonds an absolute freedom — a perfect equality, in point 
of civil right, with the other subjects of the British empire. 
Since this act has become the law of the empire, all the 
Queen's subjects are bound, on moral and Christian principle, 
to maintain its grand provisions, and to abstain from all con- 
travention of them in practice. It cannot, I trust, be offensive, 
on my part, to observe that this moral obligation rests, in full 
force, upon the planters of our West-Indian colonies, not only 
on the general ground of subjection to the laws of the empire, 
but on the specific ground, also, of their having received twenty 
millions of pounds sterling from the public purse, as a compen- 
sation for their slaves. I just take the liberty of stating, in 
passing, that so far as my little inlluence extended, I was never 
opposed to that liberal grant of money, and I may say the same 
of some intimate friends and connections of mine, well known 
as friends to the abolition of slavery, in the British parliament. 

Now the very essence of slavery is compulsory labor. — I 
apprehend that I can make no mistake in asserting that all 
attempts to compel labor, be they weak, or be they stringent, be 
they temperate, or be they violent, are opposed to the true 
meaning and purpose of the act of emancipatioUj and to the 



189 

principles of justice as they bear on the circumstances of the 
case. 

One of the methods which has been resorted to in this island, 
for compelling work, is the mixture of the question of tenure, 
with that of labor ; and I am confident that a little calm reflec- 
tion will serve to convince any man, that such a mixture is not 
only at variance with the common-place rules of political 
economy, but also with the rule of right. It is a system which 
classes under slavery, and is in its nature opposed to that law of 
liberty in which, I trust, we all now rejoice. 

Allow me to explain myself. A planter of Jamaica, at the 
close of the apprenticeship — the date of full freedom by law — 
finds himself in possession of a number of cottages and pro- 
vision-grounds, occupied by certain freemen, who, I suppose, in 
such a case, might be regarded as tenants at will. — Allowing 
some short interval for the almost mevitable temporary unset- 
tlement, it must soon become evident that something is due to 
the planter, in return for such tenancy. — Now, what is that 
something, according to universal principles which regulate the 
relations of landlord and tenant? Certainly not labor- — much 
less a personal restriction to work on a particular spot — but a fair 
rent — such a rent as represents the true money value of the 
property tenanted. This is the only quid pro quo, as I con- 
ceive, which justice can demand on the occasion. 

To require of the tenant the regular payment of such a rent, 
and legally to eject in case of the non-payment of it, are neither 
of them proceedings to which any reasonable objection can be 
urged. But to require not merely that the tenant should pay 
rent, but that he should work on a certain estate, at a certain 
rate of wages, and for a certain number of days in the week, 
and to eject him if these latter provisions are not complied 
with — appears to me to be unjust in principle — a recurrence, as 
far as it goes, to the old system of slavery. It is the compel- 
ling of labor by a penal infliction. 

I presume that ejectments from tenements on the ground now 
mentioned, cannot be legal ; and it appears that the object has, 



190 

in many cases, been efTected by manual force. Cocoa-nut and 
bread-fruit trees have been felled— cottages have been unroofed 
and sometimes demolished— pigs have been shot— provision- 
grounds have been destroyed — the pleasant fraits of God's earth, 
uprooted by the rude hand of violence, or trodden under foot 
of oxen. 1 conceive that such acts of spoliation are, in point 
of fact, nothing more or less than substitutes for the cart-whip. 
Notorious as the facts are to which I have now alluded, I men- 
tion them, because necessary to be mentioned, and with no 
other than Christian feelings towards those who have perpetra- 
ted them. Sure I am, that such proceedings must be abhorrent 
to the feelings of the generality of those persons whom I am 
now addressing, as well as to my own. 

Another method of compelling labor has been the arbitrary 
increase of rents, with distraint, imprisonment, and ejection in 
the train, in case of their not being paid. A laborer on a cer- 
tain estate is under an agreement with its manager, to pay two 
shillings sterling per week as rent for his house and ground. 
Some cause of dispute and dissatisfaction arises with regard to 
his labor, and the rent is immediately raised, by way of penal 
exaction, to twice, thrice, or four times the amount; or strange 
to say, it is demanded for his wife and each of his children, 
respectively, as well as for himself He of course is unable to 
pay it. Complaint is made against him by the overseer to some 
of the magistrates in the neighborhood ; the debt is adjudicated 
to be a valid one ; his goods are distrained ; and if there be a 
deficiency, in the amount thus levied, to pay the debt and the 
fees, he is imprisoned for ten days : — But this is not all ; after 
he has been discharged, the remainder of the debt still hangs over 
his head, and whenever his petty articles of comfort and con- 
venience again accumulate, he may be exposed to another dis- 
traint. In case of his removing any of his goods to avoid the 
effect of this second seizure, he is liable as a fraudulent debtor 
to imprisonment, at the discretion of the magistrates, for any 
term not exceeding three months ; and any members of his family 
who assist him in so doing may be subjected to the same pun- 



191 

ishment. Now all this is monstrous. It is a screw of pro- 
digious power, of which the obvious application is to compel 
labor, or in other words to reduce free men, a second time, to 
slavery. 

I can easily believe that the individuals who have resorted to 
this system of penal and fictitious rents, have met with their 
difficulties and their provocations ; but I am ready to believe 
that a calm review of the subject, has already convinced some 
of them that such exactions serve no good purpose — that they 
are wrong in principle, and calamitous, in their results, to all 
the parties concerned. ' 

I do not consider it to be my province to enter into a discus- 
sion of the laws which have been enacted in this colony, during 
the last few months ; but I cannot, with a good conscience, refrain 
from expressing my own opinion, that some of these provisions 
have an unfavorable bearing on the cause of equal rights and 
unrestricted freedom. It is unquestionable that the act for the 
recovery of petty debts, affords great facilities for the line of 
proceeding which I have now described. On visiting the gaol 
of one of the parishes, a few days since, I was alarmed by ob- 
serving, that whereas the number of debtors confined in it, dur- 
ing the whole of 1839, was only 12 ; more than double that 
number, viz. 25, had passed through that prison since the com- 
mencement of 1840— that is, in a little more than two months. 
Of these, 16 were rent cases, under the petty debt act. If such 
be the operation of this act in a single parish, what must it be 
in the whole of Jamaica ? Are we to forget that to cast a free 
laborer into prison — even for ten days — is to break down his 
respectability, and to undermine his moral worth, as a citizen 
of the state 1 

I own I tremble, when I look at the too probable case of a 
free laborer who cannot agree with his master respecting the 
terms and duration of his weekly labor. He may be charged 
one of these penal and fictitious rents. Under the petty debt 
act he may be despoiled of his goods, and imprisoned for a short 
period. Driven from his home by repeated vexations, or legally 



192 

expelled from it by his employer, he may be found traversing 
the countiy in search of a new location, or sleeping at ni^ht on 
the road's side, in the open air. Under the police act, he may 
then be questioned and seized by an armed watchman ; and 
finally, under the vagrant act, he may be punished with sixty 
days' imprisonment, and hard labor in a penal gang. If these 
things are so, what is his alternative ? It is to yield to the com- 
pulsion, to comply with the requirements of his employer, and to 
labor against his own free will, for such wages, and for so many 
days and hours in the week, as his master may see fit to dictate. 
This surely is a perfect contravention of the intent and purpose 
of the imperial act of emancipation. In plain English, it is 
slave7'y. 

That these laws may serve some good purposes, is probable ; 
that the design of those who framed them may have been good, 
I am quite willing to suppose ; but that they are capable of an 
abuse most dangerous to the cause of justice and liberty, and 
tiierefore to the tranquillity and welfare of Jamaica, is to me a 
point which admits of little question. Most earnestly do I crave 
the watchful care of all persons of influence in the island, in 
guarding against that abuse. Once suffer it to prevail, and our 
bright and pleasant hopes of the prosperity of Jamaica, are 
dashed to the ground. 

The injustice of attempts to compel the labor of freemen, is 
equalled only by its impolicy. The estates on which they have 
been practised, are precisely those which are the most exposed 
to perplexity, desertion and decay. On the contrary, where 
rent and wages have been kept entirely distinct, and have each 
been settled at the fair market value, ease and prosperity have, 
in general, been the happy consequence. Little difficulties may 
indeed have occasionally arisen ; but these have been over- 
borne by the superior influence of wholesome and undeniable 
practical principles. Am I wrong in venturing upon the asser- 
tion, that wherever tlie laborers have been fairly, kindly, and 
wisely treated, there they have been working well, and all 
things prosper ? Certainly, my friends, there is a native virtue 



193 

in universal freedom, which, when suffered to act without re- 
striction, and under the blessing of Divine Providence, cannot 
fail to diffuse innumerable advantages, and to make a very 
wilderness of thorns and briars "blossom as the rose." 

Taking it for granted then, that both justice and policy dic- 
tate a total surrender of every contrivance to compel the labor 
of the peasantry, what are the means of which we are left in 
possession for procuring that labor ? 

I answer : First of all — fair though not extravagant wages, 
paid with undeviating regularity, at a stated hour, once 
every week, and paid without any reference whatsoever to rent 
The more I inquire into the difficulties which have arisen on 
some properties in Jamaica, the stronger is my conviction of 
the importance of the regular and frequent payment of wages. 
A credit in account has a much weaker influence as a stimulus 
to action, especially on uneducated minds, than money placed 
in the hand. Lately emerged, as they are from a state of 
slavery, the laborers of Jamaica may at present be unduly 
prone to feelings of suspicion. This want of confidence, aris- 
ing so naturally out of their circumstances, may greatly under- 
mine the influence of wages, as a stimulus to labor, when paid 
irregularly, or at long intervals. It is of primary importance, 
for the correction of this want of confidence, and for a corres- 
ponding certainty in obtaining continuous work, that as soon 
as his silver bits can be legally demanded by the laborer, so 
soon they should be willingly and regularly placed in his hands. 

Secondly — task or piece work. I have enjoyed the satisfac- 
tion of observing the admirable effect of this arrangement of 
labor in other islands, especially in Antigua and Dominica ; 
and I am heartily glad to find, that it is increasingly prevalent 
in Jamaica. It is most desirable for the master — enabling him 
to obtain his work, at the same ultimate expense as by day- 
wages, and with greater ease, from fewer hands, and in a shorter 
period of time. It is equally desirable for the laborer, who 
doubles his wages by it. It is, in fact, a point of settlement and 

rest for both parties. 

17 



194 

Thirdly — leasehold and freehold settlements for the laborers. 
Nothing has yielded me more satisfaction, in this and other 
islands, than visiting the newly settled free villages, which are 
now becoming increasingly common. I have fonnd industrious 
families, inhabiting creditable houses, built by their own hands, 
and surrounded by small plots of land well cultivated with pro- 
visions ; the whole occupation being their own purchased free- 
hold. I have uniformly inquired whether they still work for 
wages on the neighboring estates, and with a single exception, 
arising out of a peculiar circumstance, I have received a clear 
affirmative answer. Here the laborers are perfectly independent ; 
and they work for wages on the estates, for the obvious and 
sufficient reason, that it is their interest to do so. 

Now I venture to suggest that the same system might be 
most beneficially applied within the compass of particular estates. 
I hold that it would be wise and prudent, on the part of plant- 
ers, to give to their laborers an independent settlement, within 
the bounds of their own properties. This object might be ef- 
fected in two ways — either by leasing to them their houses and 
provision-grounds on a moderate rental for a suitable term — say, 
not less than three years, or, what would be still better, by sel- 
ling them little freeholds, large enough for their convenience, 
but not so large as to divert their attention from daily labor on 
the estate. I have rejoiced to hear that this plan has been 
adopted by several proprietors, who have ordered a large num- 
ber of comfortable cottages to be built on their estates, and then 
to be let or sold^ with one or two-acre plots of ground, to the 
laborers. There can be little doubt of their securing, by this 
means, a population at Itome, which will at all times afford them 
a sufficiency of labor. I am aware that this arrangement re- 
quires a decided confidence in the laborer, on the part of the 
master. But this confidence will not fail to excite a correspond- 
ing feeling in the mind of the former ; it will be sure to meet 
with'its abundant reward. 

Fourthly and lastly, Christian education. I am not igno- 
rant of the ciy Avliich was once raised, and which is still some- 



195 

times heard, in this country, against many serious and devoted 
ministers of religion, of various denominations. — But I am per- 
suaded that a better feeling towards them is gradually diffusing 
itself. Certain it is that in those districts of the country, where 
Christian education is going forward, and a decided religious in- 
fluence is extended over the people, we find the greatest degree 
of intelligence, order, comfort, and industry. The principles of 
our holy religion are, in fact, the only radical cure for the vices, 
follies, and consequent miseries, of mankind. Fervently is it 
to be desired, that men of all parties in Jamaica, may cordially 
embrace those principles themselves, and as cordially endeavor 
to diffuse them among others. This is the soundest wisdom, 
temporally and politically, as well as spiritually. — This is the 
surest of all pathways to peace and prosperity. 

I heartily hope that the hints which I have so freely thrown 
out, in this address, will meet with a calm consideration, and 
kind reception. They are dictated by no party spirit, but by 
the feeling of sincere good will for all classes of the people in 
this delightful island. 

The views which I have endeavored to lay before you are 
practical, and if fairly acted on, would, as I believe, be found 
beneficial to the whole community. In the mean time may we 
all " put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." 

" Charity suffereth long and is kind ; charity envieth not ; 
vaunteth not herself ; is not puffed up ; doth not behave herself 
unseemly ; is not easily provoked ; seeketh not her own ; re- 
joiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, &c." 

That this cardinal virtue may spread through the length and 
breadth of Jamaica, 

Is the hearty desire and prayer 
Of your 
Sincere friend and well-wisher, 

Joseph John Gurney. 



APPENDIX C. 



EXTRACTS FROM A PAMPHLET ENTITLED " FREE AND 
FRIENDLY REMARKS, ON A SPEECH LATELY DELIVERED 
TO THE SENATE OP THE UNITED STATES, BY HENRY 
CLAY, OF KENTUCKY, ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ABOLI- 
TION OF NORTH AMERICAN SLAVERY." 

The following remarks (extracted from the above mentioned 
pamphlet,) will, I trust, be sufficient to show, that the two prin- 
cipal measures called for at the hands of the Federal Govern- 
ment, in the cause of Emancipation, are in perfect consistency 
both with the rules of justice and equity, and with the articles 
of the Constitution. 

" If this is a correct view of the subject, (and it is the view of 
a calm bystander, who earnestly craves the welfare of all the 
parties concerned,) the question immediately arises, What is 
the first step which the federal government of the United 
States may best adopt, in order to this grand end % To me it 
appears that the first step ought to be the abolition of slavery 
in the District of Columbia. I am aware that the Senate has 
already passed a resolution against this measure, and that the 
veiy petitions of the people, in furtherance of it, are excluded, 
by a provision which Henry Clay himself allows to be uncon- 
stitutional, from the consideration of the legislature. I lament 
that Congress has thus, for the present, debarred itself from 
that free discussion of the subject, which would lead to a 
development of the merits of the case. But I venture to be- 
lieve that thie more the point is considered by individual enquir- 
ers, the more general will the conviction become, first, that this 



197 

measure is fair ; and secondly, that it is desirable and even 
necessary. 

" On a reference to Sec. viii. Art. 17, of the Constitution of 
the United States, I find it stated that " Congress shall have 
the power to exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatso- 
ever, over such district, (not exceeding ten miles square,) as 
may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of 
Congress, become the seat of the government of the United 
States." 

" The words of this provision are obviously strong and com- 
prehensive. I think it probable that the peculiar subject, either 
of the abolition or non-abolition of slavery, may not have been 
contemplated, when the article was formed ; but if either of 
these things was in view with the framers of the article, one 
must conclude from the words " w all cases ivkatsoever" that 
there was a design to include, rather than exclude, the aboli- 
tion of slavery. Had there been entertained any secret reserve 
on this particular point, it is scarcely ta be believed that expres- 
sions would have been adopted, so full, so explicit, so^ com- 
pletely applicable to this, as to any other change, which Con- 
gress might deem advisable, in the internal regulation of the 
District to be ceded. I perfectly agree, however, with Henry 
Clay, in the opinion, that the true and simple intent of this 
article was, to give to Congress full power to effect any regula- 
tions in the District, which would render it suitable as the seat 
of government of the people of the United jStates— that great, 
free, and happy nation, which I trust is yet destined to afford the 
world an example of the blessed union of public prosperity with 
public virtue. 

" No sooner was the District of Columbia placed under the 
sole legislative control of the federal union, than Congress, and 
through Congress, the nation at large, became morally respon- 
sible for the consistency of the laws and customs of that 
District, with the principles of justice and mercy. It is aston- 
ishing that the enlightened statesman with whom I am ventur- 
ing to argue, should confine his view of this subject, to the 

17* 



198 

mere question of the convenience of Congress, and the personal 
accommodation of its members. Higher and larger interests are 
here at stake. In the circumstance that in the District which 
surrounds the Capitol, six thousand persons are pursuing their 
daily labors in the character of slaves, there is indeed nothing 
which affects the personal ease of the debaters within the 
House. Nay, there is nothing to interrupt their discussions, or 
even to mar the pleasures of their social intercourse, in the 
notorious facts, that a prison, strictly belonging to the govern- 
ment, is sometimes used as a jail for the stowage of negroes for 
sale — that human beings are publicly sold by auction, in the 
streets of Washington — and that companies of our colored 
brethren, chained together by the neck, are marched, through 
that city, to the Southern States, without let or hindrance. 

" But these are facts which, taking place at the seat of govern- 
ment, and under the sole control and responsibility of Congress, 
involve the American people, as a nation, in the guilt of 
slavery ; they degrade her character in the view of the nations of 
the earth, by affording a palpable contradiction to the principles 
on which her constitution was founded ; and, worst of all, they 
have a direct tendency to separate her from the favor of that 
perfectly righteous Being on whom the welfare of nations 
depends. On the simple ground therefore, of the true meaning 
of this article in the constitution, (viz. that the legislative con- 
trol of Congress over the District, should be fully and freely 
exercised, in all cases which apply to its suitability as a seat of 
government for the confederate nation^) it seems unquestionably 
to follow that the abolition of slavery, within these limits, is 
matter of fairness to the states by which the District was ceded, 
a-s well as of justice to the nation herself And, further, the 
very same considerations which evince such a measure to be 
fair, afford abundant evidence that it is desirable and necessary 
— necessary to the comfort, the reputation, and the true pros- 
perity of the Union. 

'^I am perfectly aware that, according to the present constitu- 
tion of the United States, the general government has no powe r 



199 

over the internal constitutions of its component republics, in 
their individual and separate capacity. Should Congress^ 
however, be induced to pay its debt of justice to the slave 
population of the District, and of Florida, it may be hoped that 
considerable effect would be produced on the legislatures of the 
slave states, by the force of example. An example of public 
virtue, in which the slave states themselves, as part of the Union, 
would have their share^ could scarcely fail to operate on the 
more enlightened and reflecting part of their own citizens, 

" For my own part, I entertain a firm belief that this example 
would be rendered efficacious, not only by the perfect harmless- 
ness of the measure of immediate abolition, but by its beneficial 
results. Florida might present a useful pattern to the states in 
which the colored population is large, in proportion to the white 
inhabitants ; and the District would, as I believe, afford a proof 
to Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, 
and Kentucky, that they might abolish their slavery with pro- 
priety and safety. Kentucky would then no longer be afraid to 
make those changes in her constitution, with a view to emanci- 
pation, which her distinguished Senator, (in contradiction to 
his good old character of a friend to universal freedom,) de- 
clares himself to have been lately engaged in preventing. 

" But there is one step for the benefit of the slaves throughout 
the Union, which Congress appears to have a constitutional 
right to take, and which would operate with more than the 
force of mere example. While the internal institutions of the 
states, in their individual and separate capacity, are out of its. 
reach, it has the power " to regulate commerce with foreign 
nations, and among the several states, and with the 
Indian Tribes." — -Constitution, Sec. viii. Art. 3. Notwith- 
standing Henry Clay's objections, it appears to me, on calm and 
deliberate reflection, that Congress has therefore power to put 
an end to free America's chief disgrace — namely, her internal 
traffic in slaves. 

" The plea which he urges against this inference from the 
article on commerce, is double ; — first, that this alleged traflSc is 



200 

not commerce at all, but is only to be regarded as the " removal" 
of slaves from one state to another ; and, secondly, that if it 

were commerce, the power of the federal government would 
extend only to the regulation of it. It is a power to regulate, 
not to annihilate ; and he has declared his judgment, that it 
would be no more competent to Congress to prevent Maryland 
and Virginia from supplying the South with slaves, than to pre- 
vent Ohio from supplying the East with live stock. 

" This comparison affords an affecting instance of the facility 
with which, under the prevailing influence of slavery, even 
enlightened men are induced to forget the impassable distinc- 
tions between human beings of a color different from their own, 
and the beasts which perish. But it is, nevertheless, an apt 
comparison, as evincing the true nature and character of that 
which is called, by this statesman, the removal of slaves. The 
fact of the case undoubtedly is, that this removal is as strictly 
and properly a traffic — a branch of the commerce among the 
states of this Union — as is the " removal" of live stock from 
Ohio to Pennsylvania or Maryland. In both cases, the living 
creatures, which form the article of traffic, are first raised, or 
bred, by the land-owner or farmer ; secondly, sold to the mer- 
chant or jobber ; thirdly, driven under his orders to their place 
of destination, and fourthly, resold to the user or consumer. 
It is impossible to conceive of anything more regularly a traffic, 
than is this " removal" of oxen from Ohio, and of " slaves" 
from Maryland. It is a trade in the animal productions of the 
earth, precisely analogous, in its several stages, to a trade in 
cotton. The planter raises the cotton ; he sells it to the mer- 
chant ; the merchant ships it to its place of destination ; and 
there it is resold to the consumer. 

" Every humane and generous mind must revolt at the notion 
of breeding human beings for sale ; and the term itself is 
scarcely tolerable to polite ears. But that they are actually 
bred for sale, in soma of the slave states of North America, is 
a fact which, I fear, cannot he denied. I confess I feel much 
compassion for the slaveholder of Virginia, who, seated in his 



201 

old and gentlemanlike mansion, surveys the wide demesnes 
which have descended to him from his ancestors. His lands 
long since exhausted by slave labor, present to his eye a brown 
and dreary aspect, except where they have become overgrown 
by a miserable forest of pines. His black people have multi- 
plied around him, and he scarcely knows how to feed them. 
His family necessities are perpetually calling for money. The 
slave jobber is prowling about the neighborhood, with his 
tempting offers of five hundred dollars for a lad or girl, or one 
thousand dollars for an adult person. The temptation soon be- 
comes irresistible, and slave after slave supplies the southern 
market. By degrees he discovers that by far the most profita- 
ble article which his estate produces, is the slave ; and, instead 
of the old fashioned cultivator of the soil, he becomes, by slow 
degrees and almost insensibly to himself, a slave breeder. 
But whether this be, or be not the true trade and profession of 
the slaveholder, it is all one to the slave. He is sold to the 
merchant, torn from his wife and family, lodged in some negro 
jail, at Baltimore, Winchester, or Washington, and finally driven, 
as one of a handcuffed gang, to Alabama or Louisiana, — there 
to be sold, with an enormous profit for the jobber, to the planter 
of cotton, coffee, or sugar. 

" All this is no exaggeration, as the Senator of Kentucky 
must be fully aware, of the character of this nefarious traffic ; 
nor can it be questioned that it is a traffic carried on to an 
enormous extent. I learn, on good authority, that two-thirds 
of the funds of a principal state bank, were last year invested 
in loans to slave merchants ; and there cannot be the least 
question of the fact, that the yearly commerce of Virginia and 
North Carolina, in human beings, amounts to many millions of 
dollars. Would it not be safe to say that it is the largest article 
of commerce known in those states ? That it is also an exten- 
sive branch of trade in Maryland, and sorrte other parts of the 
Union, is beyond all doubt. 

" But, allowing that this is the truth of the case, Henry 
Clay declares his opinion that Congress cannot touch the 



202 

question, because its power over the commerce between the 
states, is a power to regulate only, not to destroy. It is matter 
of surprise that the very obvious fallacy of this plea, should 
not have been perceived by the experienced statesman who 
urged it. Who can fail to remark that in the article of the 
constitution, which applies to the subject, the word " commerce' 
is used in a wide and general sense ? And who does not know 
that in the due regulation of commerce, in this comprehensive 
meaning, the prohibition of a trade in particular articles, is 
frequently involved ? The celebrated tariff of North America 
was, I presume, intended at least to impede the introduction of 
certain articles of British manufacture, into this country ; and 
every one knows that duties are sometimes laid on importa- 
tion, so heavy as to amount to an absolute prohibition. Thus, 
in the " reofulation" of the commerce of the United States 
with foreign nations, a traffic in particular articles may be 
legitimately annihilated, for the purpose of serving some larger 
or higher interest, for the national benefit. The same principle 
obviously applies to the commerce amongst the states. If a 
free traffic in some particular article, among some of the states, 
is injurious to the nation at large, — if it is at variance with 
great principles, on which the national prosperity depends — if 
it is illegitimate in its very nature, — -the prohibition of such an 
unhealthy branch of trade, must surely form a just and proper 
part of that " regulations^ of commerce among the several 
states, which is committed to the care and authority of Con- 
gress. 

" The subject now before me I feel to be one of most affecting 
and serious import. In the character of an ardent friend to 
every class of society in this country, and a hearty lover of her 
noble constitution, I am constrained to speak in plain terms 
upon this vital topic. With diffidence, yet with firmness, I 
must venture to express my own conviction, that the internal 
slave-trade of this country, though differing in circumstances 
from the African slave trade, is the same with it in principle ; 
that it is utterly unlawful and spurious, and opposed to the 



203 

very nature of a healthy commerce ; that it is a blot on the 
escutcheon of this free and mighty nation, in the sight of all 
the nations of the earth ; that so far from promoting the pros- 
perity of the states which practice it, it is to them, like doses of 
brandy to a man sick of a fever — a mere diversion from that 
sound application of their resources, under the banner of free- 
dom, which can alone restore the prosperity of which slavery 
has deprived them ; and, finally, that for all these reasons, it is 
the high, yet simple, duty of Congress, as the authorised regu- 
lator of commerce, to extinguish without delay, this nefarious 
traffic. 

" Whenever the happy day arrives when the federal govern- 
ment shall be induced to pay this debt to the cause of justice 
and humanity, such a proceeding can scarcely fail to be quickly 
followed by the abolition of slavery, in all those states of the 
Union, in which the slaves are becoming comparatively useless. 
The old outlet for them will be stopped; and, to issue the 
final decree, that they shall be free, and at liberty, therefore, to 
provide for themselves, as may best suit them, will be found to 
be the only practicable remedy for the inconveniences and miser- 
ies of the present state of things." 



